rein.
A strap or rope attached to a bridle or bit, used to control a horse, other animal or young child.
Meaning & usage
A strap or rope attached to a bridle or bit, used to control a horse, other animal or young child.
An instrument or means of curbing, restraining, or governing.
The government is attempting to keep a rein on rising prices.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English rein, reyne, from Anglo-Norman reyne, resne, from Early Medieval Latin retina, ultimately from Classical Latin retineō (“hold back”), from re- + teneō (“keep, hold”). Compare modern French rêne. Displaced native Old English brīdel (“bridle, rein”), Old English wealdleþer, ġewealdleþer (“rein, bridle”, literally “control strap”), Old English sāl (“cord, rein”), Old English tiġel (“rein”), and Old English lāttēh, lāttēh (“leash, rein”).
To direct or stop a horse by using reins.
To restrain; to control; to check.
To obey directions given with the reins.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English rein, reyne, from Anglo-Norman reyne, resne, from Early Medieval Latin retina, ultimately from Classical Latin retineō (“hold back”), from re- + teneō (“keep, hold”). Compare modern French rêne. Displaced native Old English brīdel (“bridle, rein”), Old English wealdleþer, ġewealdleþer (“rein, bridle”, literally “control strap”), Old English sāl (“cord, rein”), Old English tiġel (“rein”), and Old English lāttēh, lāttēh (“leash, rein”).
A kidney.
The inward impulses; the affections and passions, formerly supposed to be located in the area of the kidneys.
Where this word comes from
From Anglo-Norman reines, Middle French reins, and their source, Latin rēnēs. Doublet of ren.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.