rein

See also: Rein, reiñ, rein-, and REIN

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹeɪn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophones: rain, reign

Etymology 1

From Middle English rein, reyne, from Anglo-Norman reyne, resne, from Early Medieval Latin retina, ultimately from Classical Latin retineō (“hold back”), from re- + teneō (“keep, hold”). Compare modern French rêne.

Displaced native Old English brīdel (“bridle, rein”), Old English wealdleþer, ġewealdleþer (“rein, bridle”, literally “control strap”), Old English sāl (“cord, rein”), Old English tiġel (“rein”), and Old English lāttēh, lāttēh (“leash, rein”).

Noun

rein (plural reins)

1. A strap or rope attached to a bridle or bit, used to control a horse, animal or young child.
2. (figurative) An instrument or means of curbing, restraining, or governing.

   The government is attempting to keep a rein on rising prices.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Let their eyes rove without rein.

Derived terms

• bearing rein
• bridoon rein
• check-rein
• free rein
• gag rein
• garde de rein
• garde rein
• hold the reins
• keep a tight rein on
• leading rein
• lungeing rein
• pull the reins in on someone
• pull the reins in on something
• rein-back
• rein holder
• rein hook
• running rein
• safety rein
• take the reins
• who died and gave you the reins

Translations

strap or rope

• Albanian: fre (sq) m
• Arabic: زِمَام m (zimām), عِنَان m (ʕinān)
• Armenian: երասան (hy) (erasan), երասանակ (hy) (erasanak), պախուրց (hy) (paxurcʻ), սանձ (hy) (sanj)
• Azerbaijani: cilov (az)
• Bashkir: дилбегә (dilbegə)
• Belarusian: по́вад m (póvad), ле́йцы pl (ljéjcy)
• Bengali: লাগাম (bn) (lagam)
• Bulgarian: по́вод (bg) m (póvod), юзда́ (bg) f (juzdá)
• Catalan: regna (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 韁繩 / 缰绳 (zh) (jiāngshéng)

• Czech: otěž f, uzda (cs) f
• Danish: tømme (da) c
• Dutch: teugel (nl) m
• Esperanto: gvidrimeno
• Estonian: ohi (et), ratsmed pl
• Finnish: ohja (fi), ohjas (fi)
• French: rêne (fr) f
• Friulian: rèdine f
• Galician: renda (gl) f, rédea f
• Georgian: აღვირი (ka) (aɣviri)
• German: Zügel (de) m
• Greek: ηνίο (el) n (inío)

  Ancient: ἡνίᾱ f (hēníā)

• Hungarian: gyeplő (hu)
• Ido: reino (io)
• Italian: redine (it) m, briglia (it) f
• Japanese: 手綱 (ja) (たづな, tazuna)
• Kazakh: делбе (delbe), тізгін (tızgın)
• Khmer: ខ្សែបង្ហៀរ (khsae bɑnghiə)
• Korean: 고삐 (ko) (goppi)
• Kyrgyz: тизгин (ky) (tizgin)
• Lao: ແຄ່ມ (khǣm), ໃຫຍ້ (h)
• Latin: lōrum, retina
• Latvian: pavada f
• Lithuanian: pavadis m
• Macedonian: по́вод m (póvod), узда f (uzda), дизгин m (dizgin), по́водник m (póvodnik)
• Manchu: ᠴᡳᠯᠪᡠᡵᡳ (cilburi), ᠶᠠᡵᡶᡠᠨ (yarfun)
• Maori: reina
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: жолоо (mn) (žoloo), цулбуур (mn) (culbuur)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tøyle m, tømme (no) m

• Occitan: retna (oc) f, guida (oc) f
• Old English: ġewealdleþer n
• Ottoman Turkish: دیزكین (dizgin), زمام (zimam)
• Persian: افسار (fa) (afsâr), دوال (fa) (davâl), پالهنگ (fa) (pâlhang)
• Polish: wodze pl, lejce (pl) pl, cugiel m
• Portuguese: rédea (pt) f
• Romanian: frâu (ro) n
• Russian: по́вод (ru) m (póvod), пово́дья (ru) m pl (povódʹja), бразды́ (ru) f pl (brazdý), вожжа́ (ru) f (vožžá), во́жжи (ru) f pl (vóžži), узда́ (ru) f (uzdá)
• Salar: çulur
• Scottish Gaelic: srian f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: у́зда f, дизгин m

  Roman: úzda (sh) f, dizgin (sh) m

• Slovak: uzda f, liace pl
• Slovene: vajeti f pl
• Southern Altai: тискин (tiskin)
• Spanish: rienda (es) f
• Swedish: tygel (sv) c, töm (sv) c
• Tagalog: renda
• Tajik: афсор (afsor), давол (davol), полҳанг (polhang)
• Tatar: дилбегә (tt) (dilbegä)
• Thai: บังเหียน (th) (bang-hǐian)
• Turkish: dizgin (tr), yular (tr), çetgen (tr)
• Ukrainian: по́від m (póvid), ві́жка f (vížka)
• Uzbek: tizgin (uz)
• Venetan: redena f
• Vietnamese: dây cương (vi)
• West Frisian: leie, jaling

Verb

rein (third-person singular simple present reins, present participle reining, simple past and past participle reined)

1. (transitive) To direct or stop a horse by using reins.
   • [1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC:

     He mounts and reins his horse.

     The spelling has been modernized.

2. (transitive) To restrain; to control; to check.
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:

     Being once chafed, he cannot / Be reined again to temperance.

   • 2001, Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections:

     After an interval that he judged to have lasted twenty minutes, the bed began to shake with poorly reined sobs.

3. (intransitive) To obey directions given with the reins.
   • 2011, Marie Claire Peck, Rocking Horse Ranch, page 40:

     She worked each horse at a walk, trot, and then a canter. The horses reined well and executed stops quickly.

Derived terms

• rein in

Derived terms

• draw rein
• free rein
• hand over the reins
• hold the reins
• keep a tight rein on
• rein back
• rein in
• rein up
• take the reins

Translations

to direct or stop a horse using reins

• Catalan: sofrenar (ca)
• Dutch: besturen (nl)
• Finnish: ohjastaa (fi) (to direct); pysäyttää (fi) (to stop)
• German: zügeln (de)
• Swedish: tygla (sv)
• Tagalog: rumenda, rendahan

to restrain, control

• Catalan: refrenar (ca)
• Finnish: suitsia (fi)
• German: zügeln (de), bremsen (de)

Etymology 2

From Anglo-Norman reines, Middle French reins, and their source, Latin rēnēs. Doublet of ren.

Noun

rein (plural reins)

1. (now rare, archaic, chiefly in plural) A kidney.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     a man subject to these like imaginations […] hath often the stone imaginarily, before he have it in his reines […].

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Lamentations 3:13:

     He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

2. The inward impulses; the affections and passions, formerly supposed to be located in the area of the kidneys.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 23:16:

     My reins rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 2:23:

     I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts.

Anagrams

• in re, Neri, Rine, Érin, rine, Reni, N.Ire., Erin

Bavarian

Noun

rein

1. (Timau) rain

References

• Umberto Patuzzi, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar, Luserna: Comitato unitario delle linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien.

Dutch

Alternative forms

• reen (dialectal)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch reine, from Old Dutch reini, from Proto-West Germanic *hrainī, from Proto-Germanic *hrainiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɛi̯n/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

rein (comparative reiner, superlative reinst)

1. (formal) clean, spotless
2. (Netherlands) pure, sheer

Declension

Declension of rein
uninflected	rein
inflected	reine
comparative	reiner
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		rein	reiner	het reinst het reinste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	reine	reinere	reinste
	n. sing.	rein	reiner	reinste
	plural	reine	reinere	reinste
definite		reine	reinere	reinste
partitive		reins	reiners	—

Derived terms

• Jodenrein
• onrein
• reinheid
• reinigen

Descendants

• Afrikaans: rein
• Negerhollands: rein

Anagrams

• erin, nier

Finnish

Noun

rein

1. instructive plural of reki

Anagrams

• Erin, erin

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French rein, from Old French rein, from the plural reins, from Latin rēnes < rēn, from Proto-Italic *hrēn, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰren- (“an internal part of the body”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɛ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Paris)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Noun

rein m (plural reins)

1. (anatomy) kidney
2. (in the plural) small of the back, waist

Derived terms

• garde des reins
• tour de reins

Related terms

• rénal
• rognon

Further reading

• “rein”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• nier, rien

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁaɪn/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ̯n
• Homophone: Rhein

Etymology 1

From Middle High German reine, from Old High German reini, from Proto-West Germanic *hrainī, from Proto-Germanic *hrainiz, from Proto-Indo-European *króy-n-is, from *krey- (“divide, sift”). Cognate with Old Saxon hreni, (Low German ren), Dutch rein, Old Norse hreinn (Swedish ren), Ancient Greek κρῑ́νω (krī́nō, “separate, decide, judge”), Old Irish criathar, English riddle (“sieve”).

Adjective

rein (strong nominative masculine singular reiner, comparative reiner, superlative am reinsten)

1. pure, clear, plain
   • 2010, Der Spiegel‎^[1], number 24/2010, page 131:

     Natürlich ist eine Weltmeisterschaft kein reines Sportevent mehr, sie ist sicher auch ein bisschen Welt- und Entwicklungspolitik.

     Of course, a world championship is no longer a pure sports event, it surely is also a bit of world and development politics.

Declension

Positive forms of rein

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist rein	sie ist rein	es ist rein	sie sind rein
strong declension (without article)	nominative	reiner	reine	reines	reine
	genitive	reinen	reiner	reinen	reiner
	dative	reinem	reiner	reinem	reinen
	accusative	reinen	reine	reines	reine
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der reine	die reine	das reine	die reinen
	genitive	des reinen	der reinen	des reinen	der reinen
	dative	dem reinen	der reinen	dem reinen	den reinen
	accusative	den reinen	die reine	das reine	die reinen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein reiner	eine reine	ein reines	(keine) reinen
	genitive	eines reinen	einer reinen	eines reinen	(keiner) reinen
	dative	einem reinen	einer reinen	einem reinen	(keinen) reinen
	accusative	einen reinen	eine reine	ein reines	(keine) reinen

Comparative forms of rein

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist reiner	sie ist reiner	es ist reiner	sie sind reiner
strong declension (without article)	nominative	reinerer	reinere	reineres	reinere
	genitive	reineren	reinerer	reineren	reinerer
	dative	reinerem	reinerer	reinerem	reineren
	accusative	reineren	reinere	reineres	reinere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der reinere	die reinere	das reinere	die reineren
	genitive	des reineren	der reineren	des reineren	der reineren
	dative	dem reineren	der reineren	dem reineren	den reineren
	accusative	den reineren	die reinere	das reinere	die reineren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein reinerer	eine reinere	ein reineres	(keine) reineren
	genitive	eines reineren	einer reineren	eines reineren	(keiner) reineren
	dative	einem reineren	einer reineren	einem reineren	(keinen) reineren
	accusative	einen reineren	eine reinere	ein reineres	(keine) reineren

Superlative forms of rein

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am reinsten	sie ist am reinsten	es ist am reinsten	sie sind am reinsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	reinster	reinste	reinstes	reinste
	genitive	reinsten	reinster	reinsten	reinster
	dative	reinstem	reinster	reinstem	reinsten
	accusative	reinsten	reinste	reinstes	reinste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der reinste	die reinste	das reinste	die reinsten
	genitive	des reinsten	der reinsten	des reinsten	der reinsten
	dative	dem reinsten	der reinsten	dem reinsten	den reinsten
	accusative	den reinsten	die reinste	das reinste	die reinsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein reinster	eine reinste	ein reinstes	(keine) reinsten
	genitive	eines reinsten	einer reinsten	eines reinsten	(keiner) reinsten
	dative	einem reinsten	einer reinsten	einem reinsten	(keinen) reinsten
	accusative	einen reinsten	eine reinste	ein reinstes	(keine) reinsten

Adverb

rein

1. purely

   Unsere Beziehung ist rein platonisch.

   Our relationship is purely platonic.

Related terms

• reinigen

Etymology 2

Contraction of herein (“in here”), or hinein (“in there”).

Alternative forms

• rin

Adverb

rein

1. (colloquial) inside, in here

   Er kommt jetzt rein. ― He's coming inside now.

2. (colloquial) inside, in there

   Er geht rein zu den andern. ― He's going inside to the other people.

Usage notes

The standard language distinguishes the meanings of hinein (“in there: away from the speaker”) and herein (“in here: towards the speaker”). Rein is used for both meanings.

Synonyms

• herein
• hinein

Related terms

• hinaus
• heraus
• raus

Further reading

• “rein” in Duden online
• “rein” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Friedrich Kluge (1883), “rein”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse rein, reina, from Proto-Germanic *rainō. Cognate with English rean, German Rain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈreiːn/
• Rhymes: -eiːn

Noun

rein f (genitive singular reinar, nominative plural reinar)

1. strip (of land)

Declension

Declension of rein (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	rein	reinin	reinar	reinarnar
accusative	rein	reinina	reinar	reinarnar
dative	rein	reininni	reinum	reinunum
genitive	reinar	reinarinnar	reina	reinanna

Derived terms

• aðrein
• akrein
• frárein

Middle English

Noun

rein

1. alternative form of reyn (“rain”)

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French rein.

Noun

rein m (plural reins)

1. (anatomy) kidney

Descendants

• French: rein

Norman

Etymology

From Old French rein, reins, from Latin rēn, rēnes.

Noun

rein m (plural reins)

1. (Jersey, anatomy) kidney

Related terms

• rîngnon

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rejn/, [ɾæɪ̯n]
• Homophone: regn

Etymology 1

From Old Norse hreinn.

Alternative forms

• ren

Adjective

rein (neuter singular reint, definite singular and plural reine, comparative reinere, indefinite superlative reinest, definite superlative reineste)

1. clean
2. pure

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *hrainaz

Old Norse hreinn

Norwegian Bokmål rein

Inherited from Old Norse hreinn n.

Noun

rein m (definite singular reinen, indefinite plural reiner, definite plural reinene)

1. a reindeer

Synonyms

• reinsdyr

Derived terms

• reinflokk
• reinkalv

References

• “rein” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɛɪːn/

Etymology 1

From Old Norse hreinn.

Adjective

rein (neuter singular reint, definite singular and plural reine, comparative reinare, indefinite superlative reinast, definite superlative reinaste)

1. clean
2. pure

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *hrainaz

Old Norse hreinn

Norwegian Nynorsk rein

Inherited from Old Norse hreinn n.

Noun

rein m (definite singular reinen, indefinite plural reinar, definite plural reinane)

1. a reindeer, Rangifer tarandus
   • 1855, Ivar Aasen, Ervingen:

     […] renna i Kapp med Reinen, um Raasi er tung og vaat: Dat maa ein Galning vera, som so vil fara aat.

     To race against the reindeer, if the road is soggy and wet: It must be a madman who wants to act like that.

Synonyms

• reinsdyr

Derived terms

• reinflokk
• reinkalv
• reinsbukk

References

• “rein” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old French

Etymology 1

First attested in the plural as reins, from Latin rēnes, plural of the almost unused rēn.

Alternative forms

• rain

Noun

rein oblique singular, m (oblique plural reinz, nominative singular reinz, nominative plural rein)

1. (anatomy) kidney
2. (in the plural, reins) small of the back, lower back

Descendants

• Middle French: rein
  • French: rein
• Norman: rein
• Walloon: rino, rno, rin
• → English: rein

Etymology 2

See rien

Noun

rein oblique singular, f (oblique plural reinz, nominative singular rein, nominative plural reinz)

1. alternative form of rien

Plautdietsch

Adjective

rein

1. clean
2. pure, immaculate
3. chaste

Volapük

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɾeˈin]

Noun

rein (nominative plural reins)

1. rain

Declension

Declension of rein

	singular	plural
nominative	rein	reins
genitive	reina	reinas
dative	reine	reines
accusative	reini	reinis
vocative 1	o rein!	o reins!
predicative 2	reinu	reinus

¹ status as a case is disputed
² in later, non-classical Volapük only

Synonyms

• lömib

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian [Term?], from Proto-West Germanic *regn, from Proto-Germanic *regną.

Pronunciation

• (Clay) IPA^(key): /rai̯n/
• (Wood) IPA^(key): /rɛi̯n/

Noun

rein c (no plural, diminutive reintsje)

1. rain

Derived terms

• reinbôge

Further reading

• “rein (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011