tether

1 of 2

noun

teth·​er ˈte-t͟hər How to pronounce tether (audio)
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 How to pronounce tether (audio)

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Yet Kim makes space for his Korean heritage in all of his dishes: As his recipe for gim pasta shows, a package of roasted seaweed can be both a tether to family history and a secret weapon for enhancing a bowl of bucatini. Jessica Carbone, Saveur, 26 Mar. 2025 Fortunately, tethers kept them from floating into the unknown. Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Make it through a full work day without being tethered to an outlet thanks to 12 hours of battery life. Stackcommerce Team (sponsored), PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2025 Gold's long-term value is tethered to monetary debasement. Bob Haber, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tether

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tether was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

tether

1 of 2 noun
teth·​er ˈtet͟h-ər How to pronounce tether (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce tether (audio)
: to fasten or hold with or as if with a tether
felt tethered to my desk

More from Merriam-Webster on tether

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