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.

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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

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verb

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

tether More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• untethering adjective

Etymology

Origin of tether

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

Explanation

Both a verb and a noun, tether keeps things tied together, or is the tie itself. Remember, when you tether that chair to those balloons, use a strong tether. You don't want to drop from the sky because you tied them together using a cheap piece of rope. Think of the childhood game tether-ball. The ball is tethered to a pole by a tether. Tether usually refers to a rope or a chain, but it can also refer to an invisible bond or link. For example, the Internet can serve as a tether that links you to your pen pal in Germany. The love between a mother and her child keeps them tethered to each other for a lifetime. And whenever astronauts go for jaunts outside the space station, they tether themselves to the station using wires and a hook.

Example Sentences

They have sleeping bags that tether to the wall to keep them from floating around the capsule.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

My wife and I were in Paris during the tragedy and a decade later, the emotional tether I feel to the city remains taut.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Crunch, as a sensation, sometimes works like a gentle tether back to appetite.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026

Hilary, however, feels "totally helpless" and at the end of her tether.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026

Megan thought of her father as a tether, and he was gone.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• cord
• harness
• leash
• rope
• shackle