bridle
noun
- piece of equipment to direct a horse
verb
- constrain by bridle
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈbɹaɪdəl/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.
- The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
“[…] the horseman, who is the user of bridles and knows their use”
- A restraint; a curb; a check.
“Let wisdom put a bridle on them before they are grown head-strong and unruly”
- 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
Etymology: From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.
- To put a bridle on.
“He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist.”
- To check, restrain, or control with, or as if with, a bridle; as in bridle your tongue.
“Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation.”
- To show hostility or resentment.
“Immigrant-rights and religious organizations bridled at the plan to favor highly skilled workers over relatives. (Houston Chronicle, 6/8/2007)”
- To hold up one's head proudly or affectedly.