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
The latest to emerge are fiber-optic cable drones, which are controlled via fiber-optic tethers rather than via radio transmission, rendering them immune to electronic warfare and jamming technologies. Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2025 He was arraigned on May 2 and initially given a $75,000 bond with a GPS tether and house arrest. Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 7 May 2025
Verb
Best of all, its cordless design gives you free rein to vacuum all over the house without being tethered to an outlet. Clara McMahon, People.com, 29 June 2025 Emoji, as images, can never be tethered to one meaning. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 29 June 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 8 Jul. 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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