tether

1 of 2

noun

teth·​er ˈte-t͟hər 

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 

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

Noun

In a way, to call the album shoegaze tethers it needlessly to the past—this is a stunning millennial take on the genre, sprinkled with electronic and rock influences bottled up over the past 20 years and poured generously into a brand-new form. —Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Meadow Soprano herself, plays Eric’s long-suffering wife like the show’s only tether to our reality. —Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026

Verb

The team tethered the crustaceans to posts at varying times of the year and at varying depths of Maryland’s Rhode River, a tidal estuary in Chesapeake Bay. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026

Instead of planning a regular viaduct-style bridge, with columns buried in the seabed, civil engineering pioneer Thomas Telford planned a structure that floated above the strait, tethered to the land on each side. —Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing tether

• the end of one's tether

Rhymes for tether

• aether
• gether
• heather
• leather
• nether
• weather
• wether
• whether
• altogether
• together

Kids Definition

tether

1 of 2 noun

teth·​er ˈtet͟h-ər 

: 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 

: to fasten or hold with or as if with a tether

felt tethered to my desk