bridle

[ brahyd-l ]

/ ˈbraɪd l /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bridle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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

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

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.

a raising up of the head, as in disdain.

verb (used with object), bri·dled, bri·dling.

to put a bridle on.

to control or hold back; restrain; curb.

verb (used without object), bri·dled, bri·dling.

to draw up the head and draw in the chin, as in disdain or resentment.

Nearby words

bridging shot, bridgman, bridgmanite, bridgwater, bridie, bridle, bridle hand, bridle joint, bridle path, bridle suture, bridlewise

Origin of bridle

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

SYNONYMS FOR bridle

2 governor.

2, 7 check.

7 govern, constrain, inhibit, restrict, limit.

8 bristle.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bridle ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

bri·dle·less, adjectivebri·dler, noun

Can be confused

bridal bridle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bridle

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|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|DAILY BEAST
The retelling developed quite a following, Bridle not included.
Twitterature|Isabel Wilkinson|April 1, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The Gaucho, now holding fast the bridle fixed to the lower jaw, leads the horse outside the corral.
A Naturalist's Voyage Round the World|Charles Darwin

Mine cost me only 135 dollars with the bridle and saddle, and that I am told is 18 dollars too much.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume X|Various
I rush'd to Molly, caught her bridle, and leap'd on her back.
The Splendid Spur|Arthur T. Quiller Couch
Her eyes drooped, and she nervously twisted the bridle reins.
The Mysterious Rider|Zane Grey
Jardine held the stirrup, she seized the bridle, set her mouth and started the horse.
Northwest!|Harold Bindloss

British Dictionary definitions for bridle

bridle

/ (ˈbraɪdəl) /

noun

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

something that curbs or restrains; check

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

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

verb

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

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

(tr) to restrain; curbhe bridled his rage

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

Derived Forms

bridler, noun

Word Origin for bridle

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

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