tether

noun

Etymology: From Middle English tether, teder, from Old English *tēoder and/or Old Norse tjóðr ( > Danish tøjr, Swedish tjuder); both from Proto-Germanic *teudrą (“rope; cord; shaft”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dewtro-, from Proto-Indo-European *dew- (“to tie”), or from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Cognate with North German Tüder (“tether for binding the cattle”), Swedish tjuder (“tether for binding cattle”).

1. A rope, cable etc. that holds something in place whilst allowing some movement.

   “With the bulky, heavy helmet for the film strapped on, I was inside a fully immersive virtual world. With de la Peña playing minder and holding a tether which prevented me from bumping into walls, I somehow ended up inside the news story.”

   “We suffer the weather / We bind and we tether / This nation together”

2. The limit of one's abilities, resources, patience, etc.

   “Since his hours have increased, I feel that he is at the end of his tether.”

3. An attachment to a place, time, entity or person.

   “Despite moving, he maintained a strong tether to his culture back home.”

   “Deeper than speech our love, stronger than life our tether, / But we do not fall on the neck nor kiss when we come together.”

4. A strong rope or line that connects a sailor's safety harness to the boat's jackstay.

num

1. Alternative form of tethera.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English tether, teder, from Old English *tēoder and/or Old Norse tjóðr ( > Danish tøjr, Swedish tjuder); both from Proto-Germanic *teudrą (“rope; cord; shaft”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dewtro-, from Proto-Indo-European *dew- (“to tie”), or from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Cognate with North German Tüder (“tether for binding the cattle”), Swedish tjuder (“tether for binding cattle”).

1. To restrict with, or as if with, a tether.

   “The cowboy tethered his horse outside the saloon.”

2. To connect to something else.

   “The younger Targaryen feels as though she’s lost any intimacy that tethered her to compassion and humanity, and so all that remains is the imperious need to rule that has driven her all these years, now bereft of the warmth that previously tempered her.”

3. To connect to something else.