rein

B2 Topic:Animals

US /reɪn/ UK /reɪn/ See IPA manual

Homophones

rain /reɪn/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like lane /l/ vs /r/ Sounds like lain /l/ vs /r/

Meanings

1

noun
a long, narrow strap attached to a horse's bit, used to guide or control the animal

She pulled on the rein to slow the horse down.
2

noun
the power to direct or control something

He took over the reins of the company.
3

verb
to control, guide, or restrain something or someone

The government needs to rein in spending.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with rein

rein in Phrasal verb B2

to bring something under control or reduce its freedom of action

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a long, narrow strap... bridle strap lead tether halter

2 noun · the power to direct or... control command charge leadership

3 verb · to control, guide, or... restrain curb controlhold backkeep in check

Opposites

release unleash free

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

rein in
to bring something under control or reduce its freedom of action

Verb + adverb

Idioms (1)

See all

free rein
complete freedom to make choices or act without interference

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European reg-/reig- ('to bind, tie') via Proto-Germanic reina and Old French reines ('straps'); Middle English rein meant a strap for controlling a horse, the sense kept in Modern English.

Topics

Animals

External links

# rein

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /reɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /reɪn/

## Meanings
1. a long, narrow strap attached to a horse's bit, used to guide or control the animal
2. the power to direct or control something
3. to control, guide, or restrain something or someone

## Examples
- She pulled on the rein to slow the horse down.
- He took over the reins of the company.
- The government needs to rein in spending.

## Synonyms
- bridle
- strap
- lead
- tether
- halter
- control
- command
- charge
- restrain
- curb
- hold back
- keep in check

## Antonyms
- release
- unleash
- free

## Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European reg-/reig- ('to bind, tie') via Proto-Germanic reina and Old French reines ('straps'); Middle English rein meant a strap for controlling a horse, the sense kept in Modern English.

## AI Etymology
Rein comes from Proto-Indo-European reg-/reig- ('to bind, tie') via Proto-Germanic reina and Old French reines ('straps'); Middle English rein meant a strap for controlling a horse, the sense kept in Modern English. In current use it is a noun and verb meaning "a long, narrow strap attached to a horse's bit, used to guide or control the animal". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Animals

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