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tether

American  
[teth-er] / ˈtɛð ər /

noun

  1. a rope, chain, or the like, by which an animal is fastened to a fixed object so as to limit its range of movement.

  2. the utmost length to which one can go in action; the utmost extent or limit of ability or resources.

verb (used with object)

  1. to fasten or confine with or as if with a tether.

  2. Digital Technology. to use (an electronic device, usually a smartphone or tablet) to enable a wireless internet connection on another nearby device, often a laptop.

    There's no Wi-Fi, so I'll have to tether my phone to my laptop.

verb (used without object)

  1. Digital Technology. to use an electronic device to enable a wireless internet connection on another device.

idioms

  1. at the end of one's tether, at the end of one's resources, patience, or strength.

tether British  
/ ˈtɛðə /

noun

  1. a restricting rope, chain, etc, by which an animal is tied to a particular spot

  2. the range of one's endurance, etc

  3. distressed or exasperated to the limit of one's endurance

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to tie or limit with or as if with a tether

"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
tether More Idioms  

  1. see end of one's rope (tether).

Other Word Forms

  • untethering adjective

Etymology

Origin of tether

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun); compare Old Norse tjōthr, Dutch tuier

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bond was set at $25,000 with the additional conditions of GPS tether monitoring and orders not to contact the alleged victim or go to the her residence.

From Los Angeles Times

"I think many of them are at the end of their tether and would actually quite like to leave Peopleton and are actually now trapped," Ms Robinson said.

From BBC

I made a joke that we could get one of those dog tethers from her leg to the couch, but my mom didn’t find that amusing.

From Literature

Mike has mixed feelings about the influence of government assistance on his industry, saying it “tethers us to those subsidies.”

From Salon

Even the most sappy, predictable Christmas movies have an emotional tether.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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