tether

1 of 2

noun

teth·​er ˈte-t͟hər 

1

a

: a line (as of rope or chain) by which an animal is fastened so as to restrict its range of movement

b

: a line to which someone or something is attached (as for security)

A crewman can clip the tether of his harness to the [safety line] and leave it clipped as he makes his way forward and aft.

—Michael A. Smith

2

: the limit of one's strength or resources

I'm at the end of my tether.

tether

2 of 2

verb

tethered; tethering ˈte-t͟h(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to fasten or restrain by or as if by a tether

felt tethered to her desk until the work was done

Examples of tether in a Sentence

Verb

They tethered the horses in the shade.

The dog was tethered to the fence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office tracked the male by his tether to a heavily wooded portion of Belle Isle, where a confrontation ensued, police said. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 29 Apr. 2024

No Argentine accord is complete without yerba buena tea—maté is their love language, after all—and a smoky, creamy finish tethers gaucho-like leather to dulce de leche. —Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024

Verb

The raft was tethered by a rope to the claw of a bulldozer. —Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024

Many other titans of Silicon Valley have tethered themselves to Trump. —Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tethir, teder, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse tjōthr tether; akin to Old High German zeotar pole of a wagon

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tether

• the end of one's tether

Kids Definition

tether

1 of 2 noun

teth·​er ˈtet͟h-ər 

: a line by which something (as an animal or a balloon) is fastened so as to limit its range

tether

2 of 2 verb

tethered; tethering ˈtet͟h-(ə-)riŋ 

: to fasten or hold with or as if with a tether

felt tethered to my desk