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)

tethers, present (3rd person singular) tethered, past participle, past tethering present participle

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)

tethers, present (3rd person singular) tethered, past participle, past tethering present participle

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

Derived Forms

• untethering
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have tethered
  perfect
• has tethered
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are tethering
  progressive
• have been tethering
  perfect progressive
• tethers
  singular 3rd person
• am tethering
  progressive 1st person singular
• is tethering
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been tethering
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• tethering
  participle

Past

• had tethered
  perfect
• had been tethering
  perfect progressive
• were tethering
  progressive plural
• was tethering
  progressive singular
• tethered
  simple
• tethered
  participle

Future

• will tether
  simple
• will have tethered
  perfect
• will have been tethering
  perfect progressive
• will be tethering
  progressive

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

The drone that led Gauntlet I was Shrike, a first-person-view, or FPV, strike drone using a 12-mile fiber-optic tether.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

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

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

She said she had been at the end of her tether, feeling dizzy and her headlight had gone out.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

That has led a widening array of companies to change business models, raise gobs of cash and tether their fortunes to the fate of AI behemoths.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

"I know what the commander said, but if I need a few more meters, I want you to cut me loose. I have an MMU, I can get back without a tether."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• cord
• harness
• leash
• rope
• shackle