tether

American  

[teth-er] / ˈtɛð ər /

noun

1. a rope, chain, or the like, by which an animal is fastened to a fixed object so as to limit its range of movement.

2. the utmost length to which one can go in action; the utmost extent or limit of ability or resources.

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verb (used with object)

1. to fasten or confine with or as if with a tether.

2. Digital Technology. to use (an electronic device, usually a smartphone or tablet) to enable a wireless internet connection on another nearby device, often a laptop.

   There's no Wi-Fi, so I'll have to tether my phone to my laptop.

verb (used without object)

1. Digital Technology. to use an electronic device to enable a wireless internet connection on another device.

idioms

1. at the end of one's tether, at the end of one's resources, patience, or strength.

tether British  

/ ˈtɛðə /

noun

1. a restricting rope, chain, etc, by which an animal is tied to a particular spot

2. the range of one's endurance, etc

3. distressed or exasperated to the limit of one's endurance

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verb

1. (tr) to tie or limit with or as if with a tether

tether More Idioms  

1. see end of one's rope (tether).

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Other Word Forms

• untethering adjective

Etymology

Origin of tether

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun); compare Old Norse tjōthr, Dutch tuier

Example Sentences

He readied a pledge to invest vast amounts in the U.S. and emphasized the U.A.E. had tethered itself to the U.S. on AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

Crunch, as a sensation, sometimes works like a gentle tether back to appetite.

From Salon

It may now be tethering on the edge of a bigger drop.

From MarketWatch

Doing something your brain tells you is structurally impossible was like inhabiting an optical illusion and we all laughed as we scaled the multi-tiered falls with the occasional assistance of a tethered rope.

From The Wall Street Journal

If American prices are tethered to what the U.K. or Switzerland pays, drugmakers would need to raise prices abroad and lower them in the U.S. to balance things out.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cord
• harness
• leash
• rope
• shackle