Meanings
rein1
plural reins
- figurativelyAn instrument or means of curbing, restraining, or governing.
The government is attempting to keep a rein on rising prices.
1 more example
Let their eyes rove without rein.
1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC
present singular third person reins · participle present reining · participle past reined · past reined
- transitiveTo direct or stop a horse by using reins.
He mounts and reins his horse.
[1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC - transitiveTo restrain; to control; to check.
Being once chafed, he cannot / Be reined again to temperance.
c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]1 more example
After an interval that he judged to have lasted twenty minutes, the bed began to shake with poorly reined sobs.
2001, Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections - intransitiveTo obey directions given with the reins.
She worked each horse at a walk, trot, and then a canter. The horses reined well and executed stops quickly.
2011, Marie Claire Peck, Rocking Horse Ranch, page 40
rein2
plural reins
- archaicpluralA kidney.
He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Lamentations 3:131 more example
a man subject to these like imaginations[…]hath often the stone imaginarily, before he have it in his reines[…].
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC - The inward impulses; the affections and passions, formerly supposed to be located in the area of the kidneys.
I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 2:231 more example
My reins rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 23:16
Rein3
REIN4
- abbreviationacronymuncountablecommunicationsAcronym of repetitive electrical impulse noise.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbstop or slow up one's horse or oneself by or as if by pulling the reins
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
rein · noun, verb
- Latinretineō“hold back”
- Early Medieval Latinretina
- Anglo-Normanreyne, resne
- Middle Englishrein
- Englishrein
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”).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Early Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →rein · noun
- Latinrēnēs
- Middle Frenchreins
- Englishrein
From Anglo-Norman reines, Middle French reins, and their source, Latin rēnēs. Doublet of ren.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Rein · proper noun
- Proto-Germanic*raginą
- GermanRein
- EnglishRein
* As a German surname, borrowed from German Rein, comparable to the first element of several surnames such as Reinhardt, Reinbold, etc., from Proto-Germanic *raginą. * As an English surname, variant of Rain. Possibly also a habitational surname related to Rhine.
More words from German, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἡνίᾱ
- ἡνίᾱ (hēníā)strap or rope
Arabic زِمَام, عِنَان
- زِمَام (zimām)strap or rope
- عِنَان (ʕinān)strap or rope
Bengali লাগাম
- লাগাম (lagam)strap or rope
Bulgarian по́вод, юзда́
- по́вод (póvod)strap or rope
- юзда́ (juzdá)strap or rope
Catalan regna, sofrenar
- regnastrap or rope
- sofrenarto direct or stop a horse using reins
- refrenarto restrain, control
Chinese Mandarin 韁繩 /缰绳
- 韁繩 /缰绳 (jiāngshéng)strap or rope
Czech otěž, uzda
- otěžstrap or rope
- uzdastrap or rope
Danish tømme, tøjle
- tømmestrap or rope
- tøjlestrap or rope
Dutch teugel, besturen
- teugelstrap or rope
- besturento direct or stop a horse using reins
Esperanto gvidrimeno
- gvidrimenostrap or rope
Estonian ohi, ratsmed
- ohistrap or rope
- ratsmedstrap or rope
Finnish ohja, ohjas
- ohjastrap or rope
- ohjasstrap or rope
- ohjastaato direct or stop a horse using reins
- pysäyttääto direct or stop a horse using reins
- suitsiato restrain, control
French rêne
- rênestrap or rope
German Zügel, zügeln
- Zügelstrap or rope
- zügelnto direct or stop a horse using reins
- zügelnto restrain, control
- bremsento restrain, control
Greek ηνίο
- ηνίο (inío)strap or rope
Hungarian gyeplő
- gyeplőstrap or rope
Italian redine, briglia
- redinestrap or rope
- brigliastrap or rope
Japanese 手綱
- 手綱 (tazuna)strap or rope
Korean 고삐
- 고삐 (goppi)strap or rope
Latin lōrum, retina
- lōrumstrap or rope
- retinastrap or rope
Latvian pavada
- pavadastrap or rope
Lithuanian pavadis
- pavadisstrap or rope
Māori reina
- reinastrap or rope
Norwegian Bokmål tøyle, tømme
- tøylestrap or rope
- tømmestrap or rope
Persian افسار, دوال
- افسار (afsâr)strap or rope
- دوال (davâl)strap or rope
- پالهنگ (pâlhang)strap or rope
Polish wodze, lejce
- wodzestrap or rope
- lejcestrap or rope
- cugielstrap or rope
Portuguese rédea
- rédeastrap or rope
Romanian frâu
- frâustrap or rope
Russian по́вод, пово́дья
- по́вод (póvod)strap or rope
- пово́дья (povódʹja)strap or rope
- бразды́ (brazdý)strap or rope
- вожжа́ (vožžá)strap or rope
- во́жжи (vóžži)strap or rope
- узда́ (uzdá)strap or rope
Scottish Gaelic srian
- srianstrap or rope
Slovak uzda, liace
- uzdastrap or rope
- liacestrap or rope
Spanish rienda
- riendastrap or rope
Swedish tygel, töm
- tygelstrap or rope
- tömstrap or rope
- tyglato direct or stop a horse using reins
Tagalog renda, rumenda
- rendastrap or rope
- rumendato direct or stop a horse using reins
- rendahanto direct or stop a horse using reins
Thai บังเหียน
- บังเหียน (bang-hǐian)strap or rope
Turkish dizgin, yular
- dizginstrap or rope
- yularstrap or rope
- çetgenstrap or rope
Ukrainian по́від, ві́жка
- по́від (póvid)strap or rope
- ві́жка (vížka)strap or rope
Vietnamese dây cương
- dây cươngstrap or rope
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with rein
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
rein. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rein
“rein.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rein. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rein,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rein.
Source: rein on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.