āCoffee, the favorite drink of the civilized world.ā ā Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States
BRIDLE
bridle, curb
(noun) the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess; āhis common sense is a bridle to his quick temperā
bridle
(noun) headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
bridle
(verb) respond to the reins, as of horses
bridle
(verb) put a bridle on; ābridle horsesā
bridle
(verb) anger or take offense; āShe bridled at his suggestion to elopeā
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
bridle (plural bridles)
The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
(figurative) A restraint; a curb; a check.
A length of line or cable attached to two parts of something to spread the force of a pull, as the rigging on a kite for attaching line.
A mooring hawser.
A piece in the interior of a gunlock which holds in place the tumbler, sear, etc.
A gesture expressing pride or vanity.
Verb
bridle (third-person singular simple present bridles, present participle bridling, simple past and past participle bridled)
(transitive) To put a bridle on.
(transitive) To check, restrain, or control with, or as if with, a bridle; as in bridle your tongue.
(intransitive) To show hostility or resentment.
(intransitive) To hold up one's head proudly or affectedly.
Synonyms
• restrain
Anagrams
• birled
Source: Wiktionary
Bri"dle, n. Etym: [OE. bridel, AS. bridel; akin to OHG. britil, brittil, D. breidel, and possibly to E. braid. Cf. Bridoon.]
1. The head gear with which a horse is governed and restrained, consisting of a headstall, a bit, and reins, with other appendages.
2. A restraint; a curb; a check. I. Watts.
3. (Gun.)
Definition: The piece in the interior of a gun lock, which holds in place the timbler, sear, etc.
4. (Naut.) (a) A span of rope, line, or chain made fast as both ends, so that another rope, line, or chain may be attached to its middle. (b) A mooring hawser. Bowline bridle. See under Bowline.
– Branches of a bridle. See under Branch.
– Bridle cable (Naut.), a cable which is bent to a bridle. See 4, above.
– Bridle hand, the hand which holds the bridle in riding; the left hand.
– Bridle path, Bridle way, a path or way for saddle horses and pack horses, as distinguished from a road for vehicles.
– Bridle port (Naut.), a porthole or opening in the bow through which hawsers, mooring or bridle cables, etc., are passed.
– Bridle rein, a rein attached to the bit.
– Bridle road. (a) Same as Bridle path. Lowell. (b) A road in a pleasure park reserved for horseback exercise.
– Bridle track, a bridle path.
– Scolding bridle. See Branks, 2.
Syn.
– A check; restrain.
Bri"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bridled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bridling.]
1. To put a bridle upon; to equip with a bridle; as, to bridle a horse. He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist. Drake.
2. To restrain, guide, or govern, with, or as with, a bridle; to check, curb, or control; as, to bridle the passions; to bridle a muse. Addison. Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation. Burke.
Syn.
– To check; restrain; curb; govern; control; repress; master; subdue.
Bri"dle, v. i.
Definition: To hold up the head, and draw in the chin, as an expression of pride, scorn, or resentment; to assume a lofty manner; -- usually with up. "His bridling neck." Wordsworth. By her bridling up I perceived she expected to be treated hereafter not as Jenny Distaff, but Mrs. Tranquillus. Tatler.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
22 February 2025
ANALYSIS
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., āthe father of the brideā instead of āthe brideās fatherā
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