Bridle Meaning
/ˈbɹaɪdəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
nounA restraint; a curb; a check.
Sentence Examples
He kept his tongue under a bridle.
The stableboy held the horse's bridle firmly.
Oleg never put a bridle or a saddle on that horse.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Before riding the horse, she placed the leather ____ on its head.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He placed the leather ____ on the horse before he went out for a ride.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[…] the horseman, who is the user of bridles and knows their use"
— 1961, J. A. Philip, “Mimesis in the Sophistês”, in Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association, 92, p. 457:
"Let wisdom put a bridle on them before they are grown head-strong and unruly"
— 1729, Isaac Watts, The Doctrine of the Passions explain'd and improv'd:
"He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist."
— 1835, Joseph Rodman Drake, The Culprit Fay:
"Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation."
— 1795–1797, Edmund Burke, “(please specify |letter=1 to 4)”, in [Letters on a Regicide Peace], London: [Rivington]:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Before riding the horse, she placed the leather ____ on its head.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He placed the leather ____ on the horse before he went out for a ride.