rein

[ reyn ]
See synonyms for: reinreins on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Often reins. a leather strap, fastened to each end of the bit of a bridle, by which the rider or driver controls a horse or other animal by pulling so as to exert pressure on the bit.

  2. any of certain other straps or thongs forming part of a harness, as a checkrein.

  1. any means of curbing, controlling, or directing; check; restraint.

  2. reins, the controlling or directing power: the reins of government.

verb (used with object)
  1. to check or guide (a horse or other animal) by exerting pressure on a bridle bit by means of the reins.

  2. to curb; restrain; control.

verb (used without object)
  1. to obey the reins: a horse that reins well.

  2. to rein a horse or other animal.

Idioms about rein

  1. draw rein, to curtail one's speed or progress; halt: The rider saw the snake and drew rein sharply.

  2. 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 of rein

1
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

Other words for rein

Other words from rein

  • reinless, adjective
  • un·reined, adjective

Words that may be confused with rein

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

How to use rein in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rein

rein

/ (reɪn) /


noun
  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

  1. any form or means of control: to take up the reins of government

  2. the direction in which a rider turns (in phrases such as on a left (or right) rein, change the rein)

  3. something that restrains, controls, or guides

  4. give free rein or give a free rein to allow considerable freedom; remove restraints

  5. keep a tight rein on to control carefully; limit: we have to keep a tight rein on expenditure

  6. on a long rein with the reins held loosely so that the horse is relatively unconstrained

  7. 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

verb
  1. (tr) to check, restrain, hold back, or halt with or as if with reins

  2. to control or guide (a horse) with a rein or reins: they reined left

Origin of rein

1
C13: from Old French resne, from Latin retinēre to hold back, from re- + tenēre to hold; see restrain

rein

See reign

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with rein

rein

see draw in the reins; free hand (rein) tight rein on.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.