bridle

[ brahyd-l ]
See synonyms for: bridlebridledbridling on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting usually of a headstall, bit, and reins.

  2. anything that restrains or curbs: His common sense is a bridle to his quick temper.

  1. Machinery. a link, flange, or other attachment for limiting the movement of any part of a machine.

  2. Nautical. a rope or chain secured at both ends to an object to be held, lifted, or towed, and itself held or lifted by a rope or chain secured at its center.

  3. a raising up of the head, as in disdain.

verb (used with object),bri·dled, bri·dling.
  1. to put a bridle on.

  2. to control or hold back; restrain; curb.

verb (used without object),bri·dled, bri·dling.
  1. to draw up the head and draw in the chin, as in disdain or resentment.

Origin of bridle

1
before 900; Middle English bridel, Old English brīdel for brigdels, equivalent to brigd- (variant stem of bregdan to braid) + -els noun suffix; akin to Dutch breidel, Old High German brittel

Other words for bridle

Other words from bridle

  • bri·dle·less, adjective
  • bridler, noun

Words that may be confused with bridle

Words Nearby bridle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bridle in a sentence

  • Israelis may bridle at the vision of a Palestinian state which looks like militias riding in on Jeeps and firing-off rifles.

    The West Bank Through Chinese Eyes | Bernard Avishai | March 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • bridle printed two years' worth of posts in a book, My Life in Tweets, through a self-publishing service.

    Twitterature | Isabel Wilkinson | April 1, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • The retelling developed quite a following, bridle not included.

    Twitterature | Isabel Wilkinson | April 1, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • "I call you," the policeman said, and stripping the saddle and bridle from his sweaty horse, turned him loose to graze.

    Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
  • While the boy stood valiantly holding the bridle, an old Negro came up and pulled his sleeve.

    A Lost Hero | Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
  • For my name's sake I will remove my wrath far off: and for my praise I will bridle thee, lest thou shouldst perish.

  • A moment later the road led up a hill-side, and at the summit she caught his bridle and reined in.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • Pulling the saddle loose, he cast it aside; then he removed the bridle and threw it after the saddle.

    Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews

British Dictionary definitions for bridle

bridle

/ (ˈbraɪdəl) /


noun
  1. a headgear for a horse, etc, consisting of a series of buckled straps and a metal mouthpiece (bit) by which the animal is controlled through the reins

  2. something that curbs or restrains; check

  1. a Y-shaped cable, rope, or chain, used for holding, towing, etc

  2. machinery a device by which the motion of a component is limited, often in the form of a linkage or flange

verb
  1. (tr) to put a bridle on (a horse, mule, etc)

  2. (intr) (of a horse) to respond correctly to the pull of the reins

  1. (tr) to restrain; curb: he bridled his rage

  2. (intr often foll by at) to show anger, scorn, or indignation

Origin of bridle

1
Old English brigdels; related to bregdan to braid 1, Old High German brittil, Middle Low German breidel

Derived forms of bridle

  • bridler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012