leash

American  

[leesh] / liʃ /

noun

1. a chain, strap, etc., for controlling or leading a dog or other animal; lead.

2. check; curb; restraint: a tight leash on one's subordinates.

   to keep one's temper in leash;

   a tight leash on one's subordinates.

3. Hunting. a brace and a half, as of foxes or hounds.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to secure, control, or restrain by or as if by a leash.

   to leash water power for industrial use.

2. to bind together by or as if by a leash; connect; link; associate.

leash British  

/ liːʃ /

noun

1. a line or rope used to walk or control a dog or other animal; lead

2. something resembling this in function

   he kept a tight leash on his emotions

3. hunting three of the same kind of animal, usually hounds, foxes, or hares

4. eagerly impatient to begin something

---

verb

1. (tr) to control or secure by or as if by a leash

Etymology

Origin of leash

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English lesh, variant of lece, lese, from Old French laisse; see lease ¹

Explanation

Dog owners who live in the city need a leash, a rope or cord attached to the dog's collar that helps his owner keep him safe and restrained. When you walk a dog, you hold his leash to guide him along the sidewalk and keep him from chasing squirrels into busy streets. The word leash is also useful for describing a figurative kind of guide or restraint: "The teachers at that school keep their students on a short leash when they take field trips downtown." The students aren't on actual leashes, but they are constrained. Leash comes from the Old French word laissier, or "loose."

Example Sentences

For his installation, titled "Dynamics of a Dog on a Leash" and first shown last year, Todo purchased three robot canines made by Chinese startup Unitree, costing thousands of dollars each.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

With songs like Freak On A Leash and Rotting In Vain, American nu metal band Korn didn't seem to have much of a grip on a life of piety.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023

Leash your bots, your dogs, and now your LLMs.

From Slate • Aug. 24, 2023

Leash your dogs or go to the off-leash areas.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2023

Wish I could knock a tune out of the thing, Leash, for your sake—enough to make a Boer put his head up.

From The Dop Doctor by Dehan, Richard

Related Words

• cord
• rope
• strap
• tether