harness

American  

[hahr-nis] / ˈhɑr nɪs /

noun

• harnesses
  plural

1. the combination of straps, bands, and other parts forming the working gear of a draft animal.

2. (on a loom) the frame containing heddles through which the warp is drawn and which, in combination with another such frame or other frames, forms the shed and determines the woven pattern.

3. the equipment, as straps, bolts, or gears, by which a large bell is mounted and rung.

4. Electricity. wiring harness.

5. armor for persons or horses.

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verb (used with object)

• harnesses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• harnessed,
  past participle,  past
• harnessing
  present participle

1. to put a harness on (a horse, donkey, dog, etc.); attach by a harness, as to a vehicle.

2. to bring under conditions for effective use; gain control over for a particular end.

   to harness water power; to harness the energy of the sun.

   Synonyms:

   exploit, utilize, manage, control

3. Archaic. to array in armor or equipments of war.

idioms

1. in double harness. double harness.

2. in harness,

   1. engaged in one's usual routine of work.

      After his illness he longed to get back in harness.

   2. together as cooperating partners or equals.

      Joe and I worked in harness on our last job.

harness British  

/ ˈhɑːnɪs /

noun

1. an arrangement of leather straps buckled or looped together, fitted to a draught animal in order that the animal can be attached to and pull a cart

2. something resembling this, esp for attaching something to the body

   a parachute harness

3. mountaineering an arrangement of webbing straps that enables a climber to attach himself to the rope so that the impact of a fall is minimized

4. the total system of electrical leads for a vehicle or aircraft

5. weaving the part of a loom that raises and lowers the warp threads, creating the shed

6. archaic armour collectively

7. at one's routine work

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verb

1. to put harness on (a horse)

2. (usually foll by to) to attach (a draught animal) by means of harness to (a cart, etc)

3. to control so as to employ the energy or potential power of

   to harness the atom

4. to equip or clothe with armour

harness More Idioms  

1. see die with one's boots on (in harness) in harness.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• harnesser
  noun
• reharness
  verb (used with object)
• harness-like
  adjective
• harnessless
  adjective
• harnesslike
  adjective
• well-harnessed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• harnesses
  plural

Participles

• harnessing
  present
• harnessed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• harness
  simple
• harnesses
  simple
• have harnessed
  perfect
• has harnessed
  perfect
• am harnessing
  progressive
• are harnessing
  progressive
• is harnessing
  progressive
• have been harnessing
  perfect progressive
• has been harnessing
  perfect progressive

Past

• harnessed
  simple
• had harnessed
  perfect
• was harnessing
  progressive
• were harnessing
  progressive
• had been harnessing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will harness
  simple
• will have harnessed
  perfect
• will be harnessing
  progressive
• will have been harnessing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of harness

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English harneis, herneis, from Old French herneis “baggage, equipment,” from Old Norse hernest (unrecorded) “provisions for an armed force,” equivalent to herr “army” ( cf. harbor, herald) + nest “provisions for a journey”

Explanation

A harness is a set of straps that are put on a horse so it can be hitched to a wagon or a carriage. The harness distributes the effort across larger sections of the horse's body. Other animals and people can also wear harnesses. Your dog might have a harness for walking, with the leash attaching to the harness and not the collar, keeping the dog from choking itself when it pulls. People wear harnesses for safety, when climbing trees or bungee jumping, for example. As a verb, harness means to control or direct as if with a harness for a specific purpose, the way solar power harnesses the power of the sun.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harness harnesses harnessed harnessing

"We remain focused on working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology."

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Anthropic is focused on "working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology," a spokesperson told the BBC.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

"He used it as a harness to lift several old people," she said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Cell therapies that harness the immune system have transformed treatment for some cancers of the blood and lymphatic system.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

“I know when a horse is broke to harness, and this one surely is. I’ll make sure he doesn’t cause any more trouble. Come along now, Eddie. I’ll bring you someplace you can rest.”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

That harnesses a network of roughly 200 task forces comprising over 4,000 personnel from federal, state and local agencies.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Along with the harnesses, hard hats and hi-vis, the safety kit now includes suncream and plenty of water bottles.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

The event highlighted how the Westwood-based museum inspires creatives and harnesses community for the city’s artists.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026

Critics say such outcomes undermine Polymarket’s claim to be a “truth machine” that harnesses the wisdom of the crowd to generate accurate forecasts of political events.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026

Descheeny came down to the hunters who pretended to be adjusting the harnesses and tightening the cinches.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

Winston Churchill harnessed the power of radio, but thought television a vulgar diversion.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

"The mining sector is dying out in Poland and you have to change something in your life," he says, harnessed and ready to take the elevator to the top of a turbine.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Edwards has harnessed the language of European modernism to tell a singularly, painfully American story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Which food molecules could be harnessed to develop new drugs, or new foods?

From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026

It helped a little to have hard work facing him; he harnessed his team and rode away toward John’s place without glancing back to wave goodbye to Jenny.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt

But since Aug. 9, when they began harnessing the power of Ryonex, every single one of their meme carousels has racked up tens of thousands of likes.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

His truck, selling hot dogs, empanadas and fried shrimp, runs on rechargeable batteries as part of a city pilot aimed at cutting harmful noise and air pollution by harnessing electric energy.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

One example of successfully harnessing a social media audience is Ilona Maher, the US rugby player whose popularity soared during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

His answers, according to people in attendance, were “aspirational,” focusing on the “art of the possible” including lunar manufacturing and harnessing the power of the sun.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

This book guides professionals to work through music, harnessing the processes that underlie music learning, and outlining developmentally appropriate methods to understand the role of music in children’s lives through play, games, creativity, and movement.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• curb
• exploit
• mobilize
• tackle
• tame
• utilize