- em|brace
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–v.t.1. to fold in the arms to show love or friendship; hold in the arms; hug: »
The mother embraced her baby.
2. Figurative. to take up; take for oneself; accept: »She eagerly embraced the offer of a trip to Europe. Some African tribes have embraced the Christian religion. American students have increasingly come to embrace a new value system which. places human life over all other considerations (Joseph Rhodes).
SYNONYM(S): adopt, espouse.3. to include; take in; contain: »The cat family embraces cats, lions, tigers, and similar animals.
SYNONYM(S): comprise.4. to surround; enclose: »Vines embraced the hut. You'll see your Rome embraced with fire (Shakespeare).
SYNONYM(S): encircle.5. Figurative. to take in with the eye or mind.6. Obsolete. to undertake.–v.i.to hug one another: »The two girls embraced.
–n.1. a clasping in the arms; hug: »The little boy freed himself from his aunt's embrace. Figurative. Wrapt in the cold embraces of the tomb (Alexander Pope).
2. a taking up or accepting: »the tribes' embrace of Christianity, their willing embrace of new values and ideas.
╂[< Old French embracer, perhaps < Vulgar Latin imbracchiāre < Latin in- in + bracchium arm < Greek brach
ōn]Law. to attempt to influence (a court or jury) illegally.╂[apparently back formation < embraceor]
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
