Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Brave, vb., 1) to display bravery, to carry a threatening appearance: “have fought with equal fortune and continue a --ing war,” All's I, 2, 3. “art come in --ing arms,” R2 II, 3, 112. R2 II, 3, 112 Followed by a superfluous it: “Lucius and I'll go b. it at the court,” Tit. IV, 1, 122.
Mostly transitive, == to defy, to oppose, to bully: “so rich a thing, --ing compare,” Lucr. 40. to b. him (time) “when he takes thee hence,” Sonn. 12, 14. “b. not me,” Shr. IV, 3, 126. “--d in mine own house,” Shr. IV, 3, 126 “that faced and --d me in this manner so,” V, 1, 124. “my state is --d with ranks of foreign powers,” John IV, 2, 243. “darest thou b. a nobleman,” IV, 3, 87. “to b. me,” H4B II, 4, 232. “how I am --d and must perforce endure it,” H6A II, 4, 115. “b. death by speaking,” IV, 7, 25. “thou wilt b. me with these saucy terms?” H6B IV, 10, 38. Tit. II, 3, 126. IV, 2, 36. IV, 2, 36 Caes. IV, 3, 96. Oth. V, 2, 326. Ant. IV, 4, 5.
2) to make fine and splendid: thou (viz the tailor) “hast --d many men,” Shr. IV, 3, 125. “he should have --d the east an hour ago,” R3 V, 3, 279.
It must be left undecided, in which of these two significations the following passages are to be understood: “shall a beardless boy . . . b. our fields,” John V, 1, 70; and: “when traitors b. the field,” R3 IV, 3, 57. One acceptation is supported by the analogous use of the verb to become (q. v. sub 3; cf. besides: “the foe vaunts in the field,” R3 V, 3, 288); the other by a similar expression in H5 IV, 2, 36: our approach shall so much dare the field that England shall couch down in fear and yield. It must, however, be borne in mind that in this latter passage the word dare is used with peculiar propriety, being a technical term of falconry.