tether
Plural: tethers
Noun
- restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
- A rope, cable etc. that holds something in place whilst allowing some movement.
- The limit of one's abilities, resources, patience, etc.
- An attachment to a place, time, entity or person.
- A strong rope or line that connects a sailor's safety harness to the boat's jackstay.
Verb
Verb Forms: tethered, tethering, tethers
- To fasten an animal or object to a fixed point.
- tie with a tether
- "tether horses"
- To restrict with, or as if with, a tether.
- To connect to something else.
- To connect to something else.
- To connect (a smartphone) to a personal computer in order to give the computer access to the phone's Internet connection.
Num
- Alternative form of tethera.
Examples
- Despite moving, he maintained a strong tether to his culture back home.
- He tried to tether his opponent’s moves, blocking off key scoring lanes.
- Since his hours have increased, I feel that he is at the end of his tether.
- The cowboy tethered his horse outside the saloon.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English tether, teder, from Old English *tēoder and/or Old Norse tjóðr ( > Danish tøjr, Swedish tjuder); both from Proto-Germanic *teudrą (“rope; cord; shaft”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dewtro-, from Proto-Indo-European *dew- (“to tie”), or from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Cognate with North German Tüder (“tether for binding the cattle”), Swedish tjuder (“tether for binding cattle”).
Scrabble Score: 9
tether: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordtether: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
tether: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary