bridle
pronunciation
How to pronounce bridle in British English:
UK [ˈbraɪdl]
How to pronounce bridle in American English:
US [ˈbraɪdl]
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- Noun:
- headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
- the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess
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- Verb:
- put a bridle on
- respond to the reins, as of horses
Word Origin
- bridle
- bridle: [OE] The Old English word was brīdel, which came from the same source (Germanic *bregd-) as braid. The basic meaning element of this was something like ‘pull or twitch jerkily from side to side’, so the application to bridle, which one pulls on with reins to one side or the other to control the horse’s direction, is fairly clear. The metaphorical verbal sense ‘take offence’ dates from the 18th century.=> braid
- bridle (n.)
- Old English bridel "bridle, rein, curb, restraint," related to bregdan "move quickly," from Proto-Germanic *bregdilaz (see braid (v.)).
- bridle (v.)
- "to control, dominate," c. 1200, from Old English bridlian "to fit with a bridle," from bridel (see bridle (n.)). Meaning "to throw up the head" (as a horse does when reined in) is from mid-15c. Related: Bridled; bridling.
Example
- 1. The thief gave all the horses a bridle .
- 2. I advise you to bridle your temper .
- 3. Change to a long electrode bridle .
- 4. Wearily she dismounted and took the animal by the bridle .
- 5. The horse is broken to the bridle .