leash

noun

ˈlēsh 

1

a

: a line for leading or restraining an animal

b

: something that restrains : the state of being restrained

keeping spending on a tight leash

2

a

: a set of three animals (such as greyhounds, foxes, bucks, or hares)

b

: a set of three

leash transitive verb

Examples of leash in a Sentence

put a dog on a leash

Dogs must be kept on a leash while in the park.

The dog saw a cat and was straining at its leash trying to get at it.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cincinnati Parks recommends that dogs be kept on leashes and that visitors stay on marked trails. —Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 13 Sep. 2024

Amy Adams let her canine acting skills off the leash on the set of Nightbitch. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2024

This is a space where imagination is not just off the leash, but untamed. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024

But through Grok, users have been able to generate images of former President Barack Obama doing a line of cocaine, Harris pointing a gun under a false declaration that Democratic candidate Will Stancil won his Minnesota House race, and Musk crawling on all fours on a leash held by Trump. —Angela Yang, NBC News, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lees, leshe, from Anglo-French *lesche, lesse, probably from lesser to leave, let go

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing leash

• leash law
• strain at the leash

Kids Definition

leash

noun

ˈlēsh 

1

: a line for leading or controlling an animal

2

: something that restrains : the state of being restrained

kept spending on a tight leash

leash verb