rein
/ɹeɪn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A strap or rope attached to a bridle or bit, used to control a horse, other animal or young child.
noun
An instrument or means of curbing, restraining, or governing.
Example Sentences
- "The government is attempting to keep a rein on rising prices."
- "Let their eyes rove without rein."
- "He mounts and reins his horse."
- "Being once chafed, he cannot / Be reined again to temperance."
- "After an interval that he judged to have lasted twenty minutes, the bed began to shake with poorly reined sobs."
- "She worked each horse at a walk, trot, and then a canter. The horses reined well and executed stops quickly."
Etymology
From Middle English rein, reyne, from Anglo-Norman reyne, resne, from Early Medieval Latin retina, ultimately from Classical Latin retineō (“hold back”), from re- + teneō (“keep, hold”). Compare modern French rêne. Displaced native Old English brīdel (“bridle, rein”), Old English wealdleþer, ġewealdleþer (“rein, bridle”, literally “control strap”), Old English sāl (“cord, rein”), Old English tiġel (“rein”), and Old English lāttēh, lāttēh (“leash, rein”).