harness

noun har·ness \ ˈhär-nəs \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

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

And pack light: Each person gets only a small bag, strapped to the harness, to carry possessions.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "Foxwoods Opens 60-MPH Zip Line From Top Of Fox Tower," 13 Apr. 2018
Others embrace the idea of making resin molds, sewing straps and harnesses, and sculpting body parts.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "In JJC program, students learn to blend science and art into gift of mobility," 7 Apr. 2018
The harnesses, which are different than traditional aircraft seat belts, are designed to allow people to safely take photographs from a helicopter with the doors open.

— alan levin, Bloomberg.com, "East River Crash Victims Could Not Break Free From Harnesses, Investigators Say," 12 Mar. 2018
With guidance from stage magician James Randi, Cooper wore a harness connected to thick piano wire hanging from the rafters to hoist himself up.

— jennifer earl, Fox News, "Alice Cooper opens up about mock execution stunt that nearly killed him," 2 Apr. 2018
For those who don’t buckle their buddy in a seat safety harness, restricting him or her to the back of the car is the next best option.

— judi dash, latimes.com, "Fashionable, versatile and safe: what every traveler needs," 26 Mar. 2018
To allow for unimpeded photo opportunities of the New York skyline from the open-door craft — the selling point of the fights by Liberty Helicopters — passengers are secured in tight harnesses.

— NBC News, "Pilot points to harness in deadly East River helicopter crash," 26 Mar. 2018
Howling Dog Alaska Distance Harness ($30) This brand is known for producing high-quality sled dog harnesses that are designed to pull weight over long distances.

— emily reed, Outside Online, "All the Gear You Need to be a Perfect Dog Owner," 22 Mar. 2018
The helicopter that crashed Sunday night into the frigid East River of New York City, killing five passengers aboard, may have gone down because of a passenger’s harness, according to ABC News.

— caitlin keating, PEOPLE.com, "Video Captures Helicopter Victims' Final Moments Before Crashing in N.Y.C.'s East River," 12 Mar. 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

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

The flight crew get a minimum of a week of training, how to harness, how to send, how to receive, how to do the maintenance on the lines.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "Foxwoods Opens 60-MPH Zip Line From Top Of Fox Tower," 13 Apr. 2018
Over the past two years, a number of African novelists have struck out beyond narrow identity politics to harness stories from the past as a way of trying to make sense of Africa’s tangled fictions and multiple memories.

— The Economist, "Africa’s past is inspiring some of its most interesting fiction today," 5 Apr. 2018
Once a five-star recruit, the Beaumont, Texas product was often asked to harness some of that intense passion.

— josh bean, AL.com, "Spain Park's Jamal Johnson leaving Memphis, destination unclear," 4 Apr. 2018
Meanwhile, other researchers are looking for ways to harness and redirect the activities of nature’s own tiny machines.

— NBC News, "These tiny robots could be disease-fighting machines inside the body," 30 Mar. 2018
The biggest winners would be advanced scientific computing research, which supports DOE's supercomputing efforts, and fusion energy sciences, which supports effort to harness nuclear fusion as a source of energy.

— adrian cho, Science | AAAS, "Science at Department of Energy gets a hefty raise in final 2018 budget," 23 Mar. 2018
And there are plenty of phages to harness for potential therapies.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Virus fished from pond cures man’s deadly antibiotic-resistant infection," 20 Mar. 2018
With the goal of destroying enemy vehicles and drones at greater distances, the high-tech armored vehicle is expected to harness laser weapons, artificial intelligence and advanced protection systems.

— Fox News, "Army speeds up prototypes for its next-gen combat vehicle," 16 Mar. 2018
The continued collaboration with Cincinnati businesses and community partners is evidence of our city’s ability to harness the passion that exists for soccer and utilize it to promote the sport as well as benefit our region.

— charlie hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati named a finalist for 2026 FIFA World Cup host city," 15 Mar. 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)

harness

verb

Definition of harness for English Language Learners

: to put a harness on (an animal)
: to attach (an animal) to something with a harness
: to use (something) for a particular purpose

HARNESS Defined for Kids

harness

noun har·ness \ ˈhär-nəs \

Definition of harness for Students

: the straps and fastenings placed on an animal so it can be controlled or prepared to pull a load

harness

verb

Definition of harness for Students

harnessed; harnessing

1 : to put straps and fastenings on

I harnessed the horses.

2 : to put to work : utilize

Wind can be harnessed to generate power.

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harness

Definition of harness

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Origin and Etymology of harness

Other Equestrian Terms

harness

Definition of harness

Examples of harness in a Sentence

Recent Examples of harness from the Web

Origin and Etymology of harness

harness Synonyms

Synonyms

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Phrases

Other Equestrian Terms

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HARNESS Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of harness for English Language Learners

harness

Definition of harness for English Language Learners

HARNESS Defined for Kids

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Definition of harness for Students

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