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 bridled

I bridled, too, at the unsolicited advice she persisted in giving my friends.
Diane von Furstenberg: Becoming the Woman She Wanted to Be|Diane von Furstenberg|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When pressed by his vice president—a fellow named Bush—to invade Panama and arrest its corrupt dictator, Reagan bridled.
The New GOP Warmongers|Matt Latimer|March 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Traveller, saddled and bridled, was waiting and the commander-in-chief sprang into the saddle with all the agility of a young man.
The Shades of the Wilderness|Joseph A. Altsheler
A safe and good horse, well saddled and bridled, brought to you every morning at the hotel, costs you a dollar a day.
Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands|Charles Nordhoff

When the animal declines to be bridled or grasped by the mane, the trailing rope usually can be caught up.
Pluck on the Long Trail|Edwin L. Sabin
With the assistance of the line-guard we saddled and bridled him; but at the stable door he dug his toes in.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, May 7, 1919.|Various
Lauretta bridled in the full virginity of three-and-thirty, and walked up the opposite side!
Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II|Various

British Dictionary definitions for bridled

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