Bridle Definition
brīdl
bridled, bridles, bridling
noun
bridles
A head harness for guiding a horse: it consists of headstall, bit, and reins.
Webster's New World
Anything resembling a horse's bridle.
Webster's New World
A curb or check.
Put a bridle on spending.
American Heritage
A span of chain, wire, or rope that can be secured at both ends to an object and slung from its center point.
American Heritage
Anything that controls or restrains.
Webster's New World
verb
bridled, bridles, bridling
To put a bridle on.
Webster's New World
To pull one's head back quickly with the chin drawn in as an expression of anger, scorn, pride, etc.
Webster's New World
To curb or control with or as with a bridle.
Webster's New World
To take offense (at)
Webster's New World
(intransitive) 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)
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Origin of Bridle
-
From Old English brīdel, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz
From Wiktionary
Middle English bridel from Old English brīdel
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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