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Synonyms
harness
- 9 dictionary resultshar⋅ness
[hahr-nis] 
–noun
| 1. | the combination of straps, bands, and other parts forming the working gear of a draft animal. Compare yoke 1 (def. 1). |
| 2. | (on a loom) the frame containing heddles through which the warp is drawn and which, in combination with another such frame or other frames, forms the shed and determines the woven pattern. |
| 3. | the equipment, as straps, bolts, or gears, by which a large bell is mounted and rung. |
| 4. | Electricity. wiring harness. |
| 5. | armor for persons or horses. |
–verb (used with object)
—Idioms| 6. | to put a harness on (a horse, donkey, dog, etc.); attach by a harness, as to a vehicle. |
| 7. | to bring under conditions for effective use; gain control over for a particular end: to harness water power; to harness the energy of the sun. |
| 8. | Archaic. to array in armor or equipments of war. |
| 9. | in double harness. double harness (def. 2). |
| 10. | in harness,
|
Origin:
1250–1300; ME harneis, herneis < OF herneis baggage, equipment < ON *hernest provisions for an armed force, equiv. to herr army (cf. harbor, herald ) + nest provisions for a journey
1250–1300; ME harneis, herneis < OF herneis baggage, equipment < ON *hernest provisions for an armed force, equiv. to herr army (cf. harbor, herald ) + nest provisions for a journey
Related forms:
har⋅ness⋅er, noun
har⋅ness⋅less, adjective
har⋅ness⋅like, adjective
Synonyms:
7. control, manage, utilize, exploit.
7. control, manage, utilize, exploit.
wiring harness
–noun Electricity.
| a system of insulated conducting wires bound together with insulating materials, used in the electrical system of a machine, as a motor vehicle or washing machine. |
Also called harness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To harness
| har·ness (här'nĭs) n.
[Middle English harnes, from Old French harneis, of Germanic origin; see nes-1 in Indo-European roots.] har'ness·er n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Harness
Har"ness\, n. [OE. harneis, harnes, OF. harneis, F. harnais, harnois; of Celtic origin; cf. Armor. harnez old iron, armor, W. haiarn iron, Armor. houarn, Ir. iarann, Gael. iarunn. Gf. Iron.]1. Originally, the complete dress, especially in a military sense, of a man or a horse; hence, in general, armor. At least we 'll die witch harness on our back. --Shak. 2. The equipment of a draught or carriage horse, for drawing a wagon, coach, chaise, etc.; gear; tackling. 3. The part of a loom comprising the heddles, with their means of support and motion, by which the threads of the warp are alternately raised and depressed for the passage of the shuttle. To die in harness, to die with armor on; hence, colloquially, to die while actively engaged in work or duty.Harness
Har"ness\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Harnessed; p. pr. & vb. n. Harnessing.] [OE. harneisen; cf. F. harnacher, OF. harneschier.]1. To dress in armor; to equip with armor for war, as a horseman; to array. Harnessed in rugged steel. --Rowe. A gay dagger, Harnessed well and sharp as point of spear. --Chaucer. 2. Fig.: To equip or furnish for defense. --Dr. H. More. 3. To make ready for draught; to equip with harness, as a horse. Also used figuratively. Harnessed to some regular profession. --J. C. Shairp. Harnessed antelope. (Zo["o]l.) See Guib. Harnessed moth (Zo["o]l.), an American bombycid moth (Arctia phalerata of Harris), having, on the fore wings, stripes and bands of buff on a black ground.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : harness
Spanish:
arneses, guarniciones, arreos,
German:
das Geschirr,
Japanese:
馬具
harness
c.1300, from O.Fr. harneis, perhaps from O.N. *hernest "provisions for an army," from herr "army" + nest "provisions." Ger. Harnisch "harness, armor" is the O.Fr. word, borrowed into M.H.G. The verb meaning "to put a harness on a draught animal" is from c.1300; figurative sense is from 1698.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Harness
(1.) Heb. 'asar, "to bind;" hence the act of fastening animals to a cart (1 Sam. 6:7, 10; Jer. 46:4, etc.). (2.) An Old English word for "armour;" Heb. neshek (2 Chr. 9:24). (3.) Heb. shiryan, a coat of mail (1 Kings 22:34; 2 Chr. 18:33; rendered "breastplate" in Isa. 59:17). (4.) The children of Israel passed out of Egypt "harnessed" (Ex. 13:18), i.e., in an orderly manner, and as if to meet a foe. The word so rendered is probably a derivative from Hebrew _hamesh_ (i.e., "five"), and may denote that they went up in five divisions, viz., the van, centre, two wings, and rear-guard.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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harness
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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harness
the gear or tackle other than a yoke of a draft animal (as a horse, dog, or goat). The modern harness appears to have been developed in China some time before AD 500 and to have been in use in Europe by 800
Learn more about harness with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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