bridle
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bridle
a horse’s headgear; to take offense: She bridled at the implication that she didn’t have the right to wear white.
Not to be confused with:
bridal – pertaining to a bride or a wedding: She chose a lovely bridal gown.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
bri·dle
(brīd′l)n.
1. A harness, consisting of a headstall, bit, and reins, fitted about a horse's head and used to restrain or guide the animal.
2. A curb or check: put a bridle on spending.
3. Nautical A span of chain, wire, or rope that can be secured at both ends to an object and slung from its center point.
v. bri·dled, bri·dling, bri·dles
v.tr.
1. To put a bridle on.
2. To control or restrain: could not bridle his excitement at the news. See Synonyms at restrain.
v.intr.
1. To lift the head and draw in the chin in anger or resentment.
2. To be angry or resentful; take offense: bridling at the criticism.
[Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel.]
bri′dler n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bridle
(ˈbraɪdəl)n
1. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) a headgear for a horse, etc, consisting of a series of buckled straps and a metal mouthpiece (bit) by which the animal is controlled through the reins
2. something that curbs or restrains; check
3. (General Engineering) a Y-shaped cable, rope, or chain, used for holding, towing, etc
4. (Mechanical Engineering) machinery a device by which the motion of a component is limited, often in the form of a linkage or flange
vb
5. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) (tr) to put a bridle on (a horse, mule, etc)
6. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) (intr) (of a horse) to respond correctly to the pull of the reins
7. (tr) to restrain; curb: he bridled his rage.
8. (often foll by: at) to show anger, scorn, or indignation
[Old English brigdels; related to bregdan to braid1, Old High German brittil, Middle Low German breidel]
ˈbridler n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bri•dle
(ˈbraɪd l)n., v. -dled, -dling. n.
1. part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting usu. of a headstall, bit, and reins.
2. restraint; curb.
3. a link, flange, or other attachment for limiting the movement of any part of a machine.
4. a rope or chain secured at both ends to an object, and itself held or lifted by a rope or chain secured at its center.
v.t. 5. to put a bridle on.
6. to control or hold back; restrain; curb.
v.i. 7. to draw up the head and draw in the chin, as in disdain or resentment.
8. to show resentment.
[before 900; Middle English bridel, Old English brīdel for brigdels]
bri′dle•less, adj.
bri′dler, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
bridle
Past participle: bridled
Gerund: bridling
Imperative |
---|
bridle |
bridle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
Bridle

The headgear with which a horse is guided. It includes a Bit, which goes in the horse’s mouth, and various straps that go around the horse’s head and hold the bit in place. Horses become quite adroit at spitting out bridle bits so a well-designed bridle is a necessity. Unlike the rest of the harness, which was quite late in development, bridles looking remarkably like those still used on horses first appeared in ninth century b.c. Mesopotamia relief carvings.
1001 Words and Phrases You Never Knew You Didn’t Know by W.R. Runyan Copyright © 2011 by W.R. Runyan
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | ![]() bit - piece of metal held in horse's mouth by reins and used to control the horse while riding; "the horse was not accustomed to a bit" cheekpiece - either of two straps of a bridle that connect the bit to the headpiece harness - stable gear consisting of an arrangement of leather straps fitted to a draft animal so that it can be attached to and pull a cart headgear - stable gear consisting of any part of a harness that fits about the horse's head rein - one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse |
2. | bridle - the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess; "his common sense is a bridle to his quick temper" restraint - the act of controlling by restraining someone or something; "the unlawful restraint of trade" | |
Verb | 1. | bridle - anger or take offense; "She bridled at his suggestion to elope" |
2. | bridle - put a bridle on; "bridle horses" snaffle - fit or restrain with a snaffle; "snaffle a horse" unbridle - remove the bridle from (a horse or mule) | |
3. | bridle - respond to the reins, as of horses |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
bridle
verb
1. get angry, draw (yourself) up, bristle, seethe, see red, be infuriated, rear up, be indignant, be maddened, go crook (Austral. & N.Z. slang), raise your hackles, get your dander up (slang), get your back up He bridled at the shortness of her tone.
2. curb, control, master, govern, moderate, restrain, rein, subdue, repress, constrain, keep in check, check, keep a tight rein on, keep on a string I must learn to bridle my tongue.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
bridle
nounverbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
لِجام الحِصان
uzda
bidselhovedtøj
suitset
beisli
apynasris
iemaukti
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
bridle
[ˈbraɪdəl] n → bride f
vi (literary) → se cabrer
to bridle at sth (= be offended by) → s'indigner de qchbridle path n → piste f cavalière
to bridle at sth (= be offended by) → s'indigner de qchbridle path n → piste f cavalière
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
bridle
n (of horse) → Zaum m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
bridle
[ˈbraɪdl]1. n → briglia
2. vt → mettere le briglie a, imbrigliare
3. vi (with indignation) → adombrarsi, adontarsi
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
bridle
(ˈbraidl) noun the harness on a horse's head to which the reins are attached.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.