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

Since the Dragon lacks an airlock, the entire cabin was depressurized, requiring all four astronauts to wear extravehicular activity (EVA) suits designed by SpaceX, which supplied oxygen through tethers. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 12 Sep. 2024

Sometimes a correct installation uses a locked seat belt or a latch and lower anchors or a tether. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 4 Nov. 2024

Verb

Consumer product goods companies like PepsiCo faced a quandary earlier this year when the EU mandated that caps must be tethered to bottles. —Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, they’re only allowed to leave as long as they’re attached to a rope tethered to their house because of an evil presence. —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Sep. 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