noun
1.
2.
any of certain other straps or thongs forming part of a harness, as a checkrein.
3.
any means of curbing, controlling, or directing; check; restraint.
4.
reins, the controlling or directing power: the reins of government.
verb (used with object)
5.
to check or guide (a horse or other animal) by exerting pressure on a bridle bit by means of the reins.
6.
to curb; restrain; control.
00:10
Rein
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is kibitz. Does it mean:
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
| chat, to converse |
verb (used without object)
Idioms 7.
to obey the reins: a horse that reins well.
8.
to rein a horse or other animal.
9.
draw rein, to curtail one's speed or progress; halt: The rider saw the snake and drew rein sharply.
10.
give rein to, to give complete freedom to; indulge freely: to give rein to one's imagination. Also, give free rein to, give full rein to.
Origin:
1300–50; (noun) Middle English rene, reine, raine < Old French re(s)ne < Vulgar Latin *retina, noun derivative of Latin retinēre to hold back, retain; (v.) Middle English rainen, reinen, derivative of the noun
1300–50; (noun) Middle English rene, reine, raine < Old French re(s)ne < Vulgar Latin *retina, noun derivative of Latin retinēre to hold back, retain; (v.) Middle English rainen, reinen, derivative of the noun
Related forms
rein·less, adjective
un·reined, adjective
Synonyms
6. check, bridle, limit.
6. check, bridle, limit.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
plural noun
1.
the kidneys.
2.
the region of the kidneys, or the lower part of the back.
3.
(especially in Biblical use) the seat of the feelings or affections, formerly identified with the kidneys.
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English reines, reenes < Old French reins; compare Old English (once) rēnys; both < Latin rēnēs kidneys, loins (plural); cf. renal
before 1000; Middle English reines, reenes < Old French reins; compare Old English (once) rēnys; both < Latin rēnēs kidneys, loins (plural); cf. renal
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To rein
Collins
World English Dictionary
rein (reɪn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | (often plural) one of a pair of long straps, usually connected together and made of leather, used to control a horse, running from the side of the bit or the headstall to the hand of the rider, driver, or trainer |
| 2. | a similar device used to control a very young child |
| 3. | any form or means of control: to take up the reins of government |
| 4. | the direction in which a rider turns (in phrases such as on a left (orright) rein, change the rein) |
| 5. | something that restrains, controls, or guides |
| 6. | give free rein, give a free rein to allow considerable freedom; remove restraints |
| 7. | keep a tight rein on to control carefully; limit: we have to keep a tight rein on expenditure |
| 8. | on a long rein with the reins held loosely so that the horse is relatively unconstrained |
| 9. | shorten the reins to take up the reins so that the distance between hand and bit is lessened, in order that the horse may be more collected |
| —vb | |
| 10. | (tr) to check, restrain, hold back, or halt with or as if with reins |
| 11. | to control or guide (a horse) with a rein or reins: they reined left |
| reins (reɪnz) | |
| —pl n | |
| archaic the kidneys or loins | |
| [C14: from Old French, from Latin rēnēs the kidneys] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
rein
c.1300, "strap fastened to a bridle," from O.Fr. rene, probably from V.L. *retina "a bond, check," back-formation from L. retinere "hold back" (see retain). The verb is c.1300, from the noun. Figurative extension "put a check on" first recorded 1588.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
reins (rānz)
pl.n.
The kidneys, loins, or lower back.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Reins definition
the kidneys, the supposed seat of the desires and affections; used metaphorically for "heart." The "reins" and the "heart" are often mentioned together, as denoting the whole moral constitution of man (Ps. 7:9; 16:7; 26:2; 139:13; Jer. 17:10, etc.).
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
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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Example sentences
It invites us to abide the unexpected, to live with dissonance, to rein in the impulse to control.
Nothing, it seems, is too petty to escape the notice of managers desperately trying to rein in their budgets.
Ideally, employers should rein in abusive bosses on their own, but that rarely happens.
New initiatives to rein in costs and increase revenue are badly needed.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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