embrace
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ɛmˈbɹes/
ipa: /ɛmˈbɹeɪs/
ipa: /ɪmˈbɹeɪs/
rhymes: -eɪs
Forms: form: embraces
form: embracing
form: embraced
form: embraced
form: imbrace
Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English embracen (“to clasp in one's arms, embrace; to reach out eagerly for, welcome; to enfold, entwine; to ensnare, entangle; to twist, wrap around; to gird, put on; to lace; to be in or put into bonds; to put a shield on the arm; to grasp (a shield or spear); to acquire, take hold of; to receive; to undertake; to affect, influence; to incite; to unlawfully influence a jury; to surround; to conceal, cover; to shelter; to protect; to comfort; to comprehend, understand”) [and other forms], from Old French embracer, embracier (“to kiss”) (modern French embrasser (“to kiss; (dated) to embrace, hug”)), from Late Latin *imbracchiāre, from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’)) + bracchium (“arm”). The English word is analysable as em- + brace. The noun is derived from the verb.
Senses: examples: text: There was no faynting faith in that Dogge, which when his Master by a mischaunce in hunting stumbled and fell toppling downe a deepe dytche beyng vnable to recouer of himselfe, the Dogge signifying his masters mishappe, reskue came, and he was hayled up by a rope, whom the Dogge seeying almost drawne up to the edge of the dytche, cheerefully saluted, leaping and skipping vpon his master as though he would haue imbraced hym, beying glad of his presence, whose longer absence he was lothe to lacke.
ref: 1576, Iohannes Caius [i.e., John Caius], “Dogges of a Course Kind Seruing for Many Necessary Uses, Called in Latine Canes Rustici, and First of the Shepherds Dogge, Called in Latine Canis Pastoralis”, in Abraham Fleming, transl., Of Englishe Dogges, the Diuersities, the Names, the Natures, and the Properties. […], imprinted at London: By [John Charlewood for] Rychard Johnes, […], →OCLC; republished London: Printed by A. Bradley, […], 1880, →OCLC, page 31:
text: I will imbrace him with a ſouldiour's arme, / That he ſhall ſhrinke vnder my curteſie, […]
ref: c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
text: And after the vprore was ceaſed, Paul called vnto him the diſciples, and imbraced them, & departed, for to go into Macedonia.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 20:1, column 1:
text: […] Love, though not wholly blind, as Poets wrong him, yet having but one eye, as being born an Archer aiming, and that eye not the quickeſt in this dark region here below, which is not Loves proper ſphere, partly out of the ſimplicity, and credulity which is native to him, often deceiv'd, imbraces and comforts him with theſe obvious and ſuborned ſtriplings, as if they were his Mothers own Sons, for ſo he thinks them, while they ſuttly keep themſelves moſt on his blind ſide.
ref: 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], chapter VI, in The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book I, page 14:
text: Theſe lulld by Nightingales imbraceing ſlept, / And on thir naked limbs the flourie roof / Showrd Roſes, which the Morn, repair'd.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 772–774:
text: Thou doſt reduce me when I err; thou ſtayeſt for me when I am dull; thou imbraceſt me when I return; thou teacheſt me when I am ignorant; […]
ref: 1686, [formerly attributed to Augustine of Hippo], “The Accusation of Man, and the Commendation and Praise of the Divine Mercy”, in [John Floyd], transl., The Meditations, Soliloquia, and Manual of the Glorious Doctor St. Augustine. Translated into English, London: Printed for Matthew Turner […], →OCLC, page 6:
text: She clapped her hands and laughed, and tried to touch his head; but being too little, laughed again, and stood on tiptoe to embrace him. Then she began to drag him, in her childish eagerness, towards the door; and he, nothing loth to go, accompanied her.
ref: 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 54:
text: There was no ambiguity in her relief and enthusiasm; she went up to him in a somewhat irresolute fashion, as if about to put out her hand; but they embraced instead, and stood for a moment yoked thus, absurdly relieved and delighted by the other’s presence.
ref: 1982, Lawrence Durrell, “Tu Duc Revisited”, in Constance: Or Solitary Practices: A Novel, London: Faber and Faber, →ISBN; republished New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, 1982, →ISBN, page 261:
text: We embrace to be embraced. We embrace our children to be folded in the arms of the future, to pass ourselves beyond death, to be transported. That is how it was when I embraced you, always.
ref: 1990, J[ohn] M[axwell] Coetzee, chapter 1, in Age of Iron, London: Secker and Warburg, →ISBN, page 5; republished London: Penguin Books, 2015, →ISBN:
synonyms: fall on someone's neck
glosses: To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug.
examples: text: I wholeheartedly embrace the new legislation.
text: The louer refused of his loue imbraceth death. [poem title]
ref: 1557, unknown, “The Louer Refused of His Loue Imbraceth Death”, in Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey et al., edited by Edward Arber, Tottel’s Miscellany. Songes and Sonettes […] (English Reprints; 24), London: [Edward Arber]; Muir & Paterson, printers, […], published 15 August 1870, →OCLC, page 168:
text: I take it your owne buſineſſe cals on you, / And you embrace the occaſion to depart.
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
text: Theſe all died in faith, not hauing received the promiſes, but hauing ſeene them a farre off, and were perſwaded of them, and embraced them, and confeſſed that they were ſtrangers and pilgrims on the earth.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 11:13, column 1:
text: Let Ignorance a little while now muſe / On what is ſaid, and let him not refuſe / Good counſel to imbrace, leſt he remain / Still Ignorant of what's the chiefeſt gain.
ref: 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, page 164:
text: [I]f a Man can be perſuaded and fully aſſur'd of any thing for a Truth, without having examin'd, what is there that he may not imbrace for Truth; and if he has given himſelf up to believe a Lye, what means is there left to recover one who can be aſſur'd without examining.
ref: a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: Printed by W. B. for A[ugustus] and J[ohn] Churchill […], published 1706, →OCLC, §34, page 105:
text: Thou hast shown me the means of revenge, and be assured I will embrace them.
ref: 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter XIII, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 227:
text: Then she thought how, now, she would embrace again the faith she had abandoned, and walk again in the light from which, with Richard, she had so far fled.
ref: 1953, James Baldwin, “Elizabeth’s Prayer”, in Go Tell It on the Mountain (A Laurel Book), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Co., published December 1985, →ISBN, part 2 (The Prayers of the Saints), page 186:
glosses: To seize (something) eagerly or with alacrity; to accept or take up with cordiality; to welcome.
examples: text: What I haue done my ſafety vrg'd me to: / And I embrace this fortune patiently, / Since not to be auoided it fals on me.
ref: c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:
text: Faced with the most significant public health crisis in a century, the population has largely embraced the strict but essential government instructions on social distancing that have been carefully designed to protect lives and to curb the spread of COVID-19.
ref: 2020 April 22, Paul Stephen, “COVID-19: meet the railway heroes”, in Rail, page 40:
synonyms: accept
glosses: To submit to; to undergo.
examples: text: Low at his foot a ſpacious Plain is plac't, / Between the Mountain and the Stream embrac't: / Which ſhade and ſhelter from the Hill derives, / While the kind River Wealth and Beauty gives; […]
ref: 1642, John Denham, “Coopers Hill”, in Poems and Translations, with the Sophy. […], 4th edition, Printed by T. W. for H[enry] Herringman and sold by Jacob Tonson […], and Thomas Bennet […], published 1703, →OCLC, page 14:
text: But it was not this that conveyed the size of the steppe so much as the multiplicity of these nomadic encampments, cropping up wherever the eye rested, yet invariably separate by a mile or two from their neighbours. There were hundreds of them, and the sight, therefore, seemed to embrace hundreds of miles.
ref: 1937, Robert Byron, “Gumbad-i-Kabus (200 ft.), April 24th”, in The Road to Oxiana, London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, part V, page 228:
synonyms: entwine
surround
glosses: To encircle; to enclose, to encompass.
examples: text: Natural philosophy embraces many sciences.
text: Not that my ſong, in ſuch a ſcanty ſpace, / So large a Subject fully can embrace: […]
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 73, lines 59–60:
text: The Man from Mars sat down again when Jill left. He did not pick up the picture book they had given him but simply waited in a fashion which may be described as "patient" only because human language does not embrace Martian attitudes.
ref: 1961, Robert A. Heinlein, chapter VIII, in Stranger in a Strange Land, New York: Avon, →OCLC, page 59:
glosses: To enfold, to include (ideas, principles, etc.); to encompass.
examples: text: VVho ſeeing him from far ſo fierce to pricke, / His warlike armes about him gan embrace, / And in the reſt his ready ſpeare did ſticke; […]
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 26, page 194:
glosses: To fasten on, as armour.
examples: text: He bears himſelfe more proudlier, / Euen to my perſon, then I thought he would / When firſt I did embrace him.
ref: c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], page 25, column 1:
glosses: To accept (someone) as a friend; to accept (someone's) help gladly.
examples: text: The puniſhment for the perſon embracing is by fine and impriſonment; and, for the juror ſo embraced, if it be by taking money, the puniſhment is (by divers ſtatutes of the reign of Edward III) perpetual infamy, impriſonment for a year, and forfeiture of the tenfold value.
ref: 1769, William Blackstone, “Of Offences against Public Justice”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book IV (Of Public Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, paragraph 18, page 140:
topics: law
glosses: To attempt to influence (a court, jury, etc.) corruptly; to practise embracery.
Synonyms: word: accoll
word: amplect
word: beclip
word: clip
word: coll
word: hold
word: complect
word: comply
word: cwtch
word: embrace
word: enfold
word: fall on someone's neck
word: glomp
word: halse
word: hug
word: infold
word: oxter
word: press
word: squeeze
word: umbeclap
Hypernyms: word: grasp
word: greet
Hyponyms: word: canoodle
word: clinch
word: cuddle
word: snuggle
word: bearhug
word: half-embrace
word: overembrace
word: make out
Coordinate terms: word: fondle
word: kiss
Derived terms: all-embracing
embraceability
embraceable
embrace, extend and extinguish
embracement
embraceor
embracer
embracery
embrace the penguin
embrace the suck
embracingly
embracive
half-embrace
overembrace
reembrace
re-embrace
unembraceable
unembraced
unembracing