harness

noun har·ness \ ˈhär-nəs \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: harness in a Sentence

Definition of harness

1 a : the equipment other than a yoke of a draft animal

b : gear, equipment; especially : military equipment for a horse or man

2 a : occupational surroundings or routine

get back into harness after a vacation

b : close association

ability to work in harness with others
—R. P. Brooks

3 a : something that resembles a harness (as in holding or fastening something)

a parachute harness

b : prefabricated wiring with insulation and terminals (see ²terminal 3) ready to be attached (as in an ignition or lighting system)

a wiring harness

4 : a part of a loom which holds and controls the heddles

See harness defined for English-language learners

See harness defined for kids

Examples of harness in a Sentence

The pilot strapped himself into his harness before takeoff.

Recent Examples of harness from the Web

The video shows the dog, outfitted with a harness, goggles and ear protectors, being raised and lowered from the CHP helicopter from a runway with his handler.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "This very good dog can rappel from a helicopter. And his sunglasses rock | The Sacramento Bee," 17 May 2018
A year ago, as the two were out for a stroll, Chard said Remy got scared by two dogs, jumped out of his harness, and took off running.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Cat that ran away while out for a walk on a leash returns to Naperville owner a year later," 2 May 2018
The 15-foot string of huskies lean into their harnesses, pulling hard.

— Popular Mechanics, "55 Things to Do Before the World Ends," 19 Apr. 2018
Go get my harness and GPS tracker and warm up the car.

— atlanta life, ajc, "Buddy the adventure cat," 25 Mar. 2018
Following the crash, New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said divers had to cut passengers out of their harnesses.

— Fox News, "FAA temporarily grounds open-door helicopter flights," 16 Mar. 2018
Eric Adams, an aviation journalist and photographer who was aboard a different Liberty helicopter on Sunday evening, said riders were strapped in from the rear, with carabiners attaching their harnesses to tethers.

— patrick mcgeehan, New York Times, "F.A.A. Halts ‘Doors-Off’ Helicopter Flights After New York Crash," 16 Mar. 2018
Keep shoes in place while dancing with a heel harness.

— sarah newell, Seventeen, "15 Amazing Prom Hacks To Make It Your Most Stylish Night Ever," 6 Jan. 2017
Using a two-photon laser, the scientists created a set of sperm harnesses—tiny tubes with flexible arms that cling to the head.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "Spermbots Offer a Promising New Way to Target Cancer," 17 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harness.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of harness

Middle English herneis baggage, gear, from Anglo-French harneis, herneis, probably from Old Norse *hernest, from herr army + nest provisions

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Equestrian Terms

canter, cantle, curry, farrier, hunter, paddock, router, skirt, tack

harness

verb

Definition of harness

harnessed; harnessing; harnesses

transitive verb

1 a : to put a harness on

harnessed the ox

b : to attach by means of a harness

harness the horses to the wagon

2 : to tie together : yoke

must harness his mechanical apparatus to his creative mind
—Andrew Buchanan

3 : utilize

harness the computer's potential

See harness defined for English-language learners

Examples of harness in a Sentence

The horses were harnessed to the wagon.
Engineers are finding new ways to harness the sun's energy to heat homes.
The company is harnessing technology to provide better service to its customers.
They harnessed the power of the waterfall to create electricity.
harness anger to fight injustice

Recent Examples of harness from the Web

Chronicles of the Trump presidency have often described a West Wing that’s constantly trying to manage a president’s mercurial whims—and harness them to their own advantage.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "The World’s Most Powerful Rube," 4 June 2018
Now comes a national campaign that is focused on harnessing that power and expanding its reach.

— Essence.com, "Black Women Launch Major Voter Campaign For Mid-Term Election Cycle," 11 May 2018
But whether a head-swiveling accessory was in the mix or not, many, including Alicia Vikander and Kendall Jenner, also served up gravitas in the back, harnessing the power of a sleek plait or voluminous ponytail.

— lauren valenti, Vogue, "From Gilded Crowns to Gothic Lips, These Met Gala Beauty Trends Dominated the Red Carpet," 8 May 2018
Scott and Julie Brusaw are the Idaho couple behind Solar Roadways, which is developing durable textured glass panels that can be built into roads, driveways, parking lots and walkways to harness solar power.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Idaho business wants you to drive on sunshine. 'Innovation Nation' viewers are on board. | Idaho Statesman," 3 May 2018
Advanced metrics may be an indelible part of baseball, but another strategy is becoming invaluable to the game: harnessing the power of the mind.

— jamie lisanti, SI.com, "Inside the World of Mental Coaching in Major League Baseball," 2 May 2018
The massive All of Us venture, one of several public and private projects that seek to harness the power of big data, also promises participants access to their own information and to summarized data from across the program.

— dina fine maron, Scientific American, "Can the U.S. Get 1 Million People to Volunteer Their Genomes?," 1 May 2018
Speaking of tech, Fortune is looking for a few good companies harnessing the power of technology in new and innovative ways to tackle pressing global problems.

— alan murray, Fortune, "Korea Breakthrough, Bezos Wealth, Wells Probe: CEO Daily for April 27, 2018," 27 Apr. 2018
Watching a Garth Brooks concert in Yankee Stadium two years ago, Tom Greca wondered if the power of crowds could be harnessed for educational purposes.

— ken house, Courant Community, "Newington Resident To Premier The Collective Crowd," 10 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of harness

see ¹harness

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

harness Synonyms

Phrases

bring to bear, draw on (or upon), make use of;

Other Equestrian Terms

canter, cantle, curry, farrier, hunter, paddock, router, skirt, tack

HARNESS Defined for English Language Learners

harness

noun

Definition of harness for English Language Learners

: a set of straps that are placed on an animal (such as a horse) so that it can pull something heavy
: a set of straps that are used to connect a person to something (such as a parachute or a seat)