Forms: 5– bracelet, 5 brasselat, 6 bracelette, bracellette, brasche-, brase-, 7 bras-, brasselet. [a. OF. bracelet, dim. of OF. bracel: see BRACEL.]
1. An ornamental ring or band worn on the arm or wrist.
1438. E. E. Wills (1882), 110. A Bracelet of Gold.
1488. Invent. Jas. III., in Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), II. 391. A brasselat of gold, with hede & pendes of gold.
1549. Compl. Scot., 120. I tuke his croune fra his hede, and his brascheletis fra his armis.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., V. v. 416. The Bracelet of the truest Princesse That euer swore her Faith.
a. 1634. Randolph, Poems (1638), 13. Upon her arme a braslet hung.
1717. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., II. xliv. 19. She wore large diamond bracelets.
1839. Thirlwall, Greece, II. 348. The collars and bracelets, with which the Persians … adorned their persons.
† 2. Applied to ornaments of similar shape worn on other parts of the person. Obs.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, I. 3. In her eares were bracelets of pearle.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. (1862), 339. About Christiana’s neck the Shepherds put a Bracelet.
1684. Burnet, trans. More’s Utopia, 106. Their Caps were covered with Bracelets set full of Pearls and other Gems.
3. A fetter for the wrist, a gyve, hand-cuff.
1816. Scott, Harold Dauntl., IV. viii. His bracelets of iron—his bed in our towers.
1883. Pall Mall Gaz., 21 Sept., 12/1. Punishment used for refractory prisoners in Sing Sing:—Tight steel bracelets are fastened about the wrists.
4. A piece of armor covering the arm.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Vn gardebras, the bracelets of an armour.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., III. ii. 135. Armed with … headpiece and bracelets.
5. Her. = BARRULET.
6. Comb. Also Braceletless a., without bracelets.
1655. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., Index 4. A Bracelet-alphabet [to write … by stringing of Bracelets.]
1801. Southey, Thalaba, VI. xxvi. Their ancles bound with bracelet-bells.
1873. Miss Broughton, Nancy, I. 84. Barbarn is lockerless, braceletless, chainless.
