bridle

English

a horse with a bridle

Etymology

From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid +‎ -le.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɹaɪdəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: bridal
• Rhymes: -aɪdəl

Noun

bridle (plural bridles)

1. The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
   • 1961, J. A. Philip, "Mimesis in the Sophistês," Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association 92, p. 457:

     […] the horseman, who is the user of bridles and knows their use

2. (figurative) A restraint; a curb; a check.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of I. Watts to this entry?)

3. 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.
4. A mooring hawser.
5. A piece in the interior of a gunlock which holds in place the tumbler, sear, etc.
6. A gesture expressing pride or vanity.

Derived terms

• bridle path
• bridlewise
• scold's bridle

Translations

headgear for horse

• Albanian: fre (sq)
• Arabic: لِجَام m (lijām)

  Egyptian Arabic: لجام m (ligām)

• Armenian: սանձ (hy) (sanj)
• Aromanian: fãrnu, frãn
• Azerbaijani: yüyən (az)
• Bashkir: йүгән (yügən)
• Belarusian: вуздэ́чка f (vuzdéčka)
• Bulgarian: юзда́ (bg) f (juzdá)
• Catalan: brida (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 轡／辔 (zh) (pèi), 辔 (zh) (pèi), 轡頭／辔头 (zh) (pèitóu), 辔头 (zh) (pèitóu), 馬籠頭／马笼头 (mǎlóngtou), 马笼头 (mǎlóngtóu)

• Cimbrian: brittel m
• Czech: uzda (cs) f
• Dalmatian: braina f
• Danish: bidsel c
• Dutch: hoofdstel (nl) n
• Esperanto: brido (eo)
• Faroese: boksl n
• Finnish: suitset (fi) pl (headstall, bit and reins); päitset pl (headstall)
• French: bride (fr)
• Friulian: brene f
• Galician: brida f, freo (gl) m
• Georgian: აღვირი (aɣviri), ლაგამი (lagami)
• German: Zaumzeug n, Zaum (de) m
• Greek: χαλινάρι (el) n (chalinári)

  Ancient: ἀμπυκτήρ m (ampuktḗr), ἡνίᾱ f (hēníā)

• Hungarian: kantár (hu)
• Ido: brido (io)
• Italian: briglia (it)
• Japanese: 手綱 (ja) (たづな, tadzuna)
• Korean: 굴레 (gulle), 고삐 (goppi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: لْغاو (liẍaw)

  Northern Kurdish: liẍav (ku)

  Southern Kurdish: لْغاو (liẍaw)

• Kyrgyz: жүгөн (ky) (jügön)
• Latin: frēnum n, aurea f
• Macedonian: узда f (uzda)
• Maori: paraire, paraehe
• Mongolian: хазаар (mn) (xazaar)
• Norman: bridot m (Jersey)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: bissel n, hodelag n

  Nynorsk: beisel n, hovudlag n

• Persian: لگام (fa) (legâm)
• Polish: uzda (pl) f, ogłowie (pl) n, tranzelka f
• Portuguese: brida (pt) f
• Romanian: frâu (ro), hăț (ro) n
• Russian: узда́ (ru) f (uzdá), узде́чка (ru) f (uzdéčka)
• Sardinian: frenu
• Scottish Gaelic: srian f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: узде f pl

  Roman: uzde f pl

• Slovak: uzda f
• Slovene: uzda f
• Spanish: brida (es) f
• Telugu: కళ్లెము (te) (kaḷlemu)
• Turkish: dizgin (tr), yular (tr)
• Ukrainian: вузде́чка f (vuzdéčka)
• Uzbek: yugan (uz), jugan (uz)
• Vietnamese: cương ngựa
• Vilamovian: caum m
• Welsh: ffrwyn f

Verb

1. (transitive) To put a bridle on.
   • (Can we date this quote by Drake and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist.

2. (transitive) To check, restrain, or control with, or as if with, a bridle; as in bridle your tongue.
   • (Can we date this quote by Burke and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation.

3. (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)

4. (intransitive) To hold up one's head proudly or affectedly.

Synonyms

• restrain

Derived terms

• unbridle

Translations

to put a bridle on.

• Armenian: սանձահարել (hy) (sanjaharel)
• Azerbaijani: yüyənləmək
• Dutch: breidelen (nl)
• Finnish: suitsia
• French: brider (fr)
• Galician: enfrear (gl), embridar
• German: aufzäumen, Zaumzeug anlegen
• Greek:

  Ancient: χαλινόω (khalinóō)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Ido: bridagar (io)
• Italian: imbrigliare (it)
• Maori: paraire
• Serbo-Croatian: zauzdati (sh)
• Swedish: betsla (sv)
• Turkish: gemlemek (tr)

to check, restrain

• Armenian: սանձահարել (hy) (sanjaharel)
• Aromanian: nfãrnu
• Bulgarian: обуздавам (bg) (obuzdavam)
• Dutch: intomen (nl), in bedwang houden
• Finnish: suitsia
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: brider (fr), refréner (fr)
• German: zügeln (de), in Zaum halten
• Romanian: înfrâna (ro)

to show hostility

• Dutch: gepikeerd reageren, zich vijandig opstellen
• Finnish: vastustaa (fi)
• French: être susceptible, réagir de manière piquée
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: feindselig reagieren, abweisend reagieren, sich abweisend verhalten
• Polish: żachnąć się (pl) n
• Serbo-Croatian: obuzdati (sh)

Anagrams

• birled

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Middle English

Noun

bridle

1. Alternative form of bridel