bridle n
1. headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
2. the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess; "his common sense is a bridle to his quick temper" [syn: check, curb] v
3. put a bridle on; "bridle horses"
4. respond to the reins, as of horses

Bridle \Bri"dle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bridled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bridling.]
1. To put a bridle upon; to equip with a bridle; as, to bridle a horse. He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist. --Drake.
2. To restrain, guide, or govern, with, or as with, a bridle; to check, curb, or control; as, to bridle the passions; to bridle a muse. --Addison. Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation. --Burke. Syn: To check; restrain; curb; govern; control; repress; master; subdue.

Bridle \Bri"dle\, n. [OE. bridel, AS. bridel; akin to OHG. britil, brittil, D. breidel, and possibly to E. braid. Cf. Bridoon.]
1. The head gear with which a horse is governed and restrained, consisting of a headstall, a bit, and reins, with other appendages.
2. A restraint; a curb; a check. --I. Watts.
3. (Gun.) The piece in the interior of a gun lock, which holds in place the tumbler, sear, etc.
4. (Naut.) (a) A span of rope, line, or chain made fast as both ends, so that another rope, line, or chain may be attached to its middle. (b) A mooring hawser. Bowline bridle. See under Bowline. Branches of a bridle. See under Branch. Bridle cable (Naut.), a cable which is bent to a bridle. See 4, above. Bridle hand, the hand which holds the bridle in riding; the left hand. Bridle path, Bridle way, a path or way for saddle horses and pack horses, as distinguished from a road for vehicles. Bridle port (Naut.), a porthole or opening in the bow through which hawsers, mooring or bridle cables, etc., are passed. Bridle rein, a rein attached to the bit. Bridle road. (a) Same as Bridle path. --Lowell. (b) A road in a pleasure park reserved for horseback

See more meaning on Bridle...

A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit.

Headgear without a bit that uses a noseband to control a horse is called a hackamore, or, in some areas, a bitless bridle. There are many different designs with many different name variations, but all use a noseband that is designed to exert pressure on sensitive areas of the animal's face in order to provide direction and control.

The bridle consists of the following elements:

On a double bridle, where the horse carries two bits (a curb and small snaffle, often called a "bit and bradoon"), a second, smaller headstall, known as a 'bradoon hanger' or ‘slip head’ is used to attach the bradoon. A second set of reins is attached to the bradoon, and hence the rider carries four reins.

• James Bridle interview (New Aesthetic) - Wired News
  *Bridle’s right that the Internet should be less reactive, but that’s social-media virality for you. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/robert-urquhart/an-an-interview-with-jame_b_1498958.html *What are ya gonna do? Personally, I think I may ... Read more on this news related to 'Bridle'
• An Interview With James Bridle of the New Aesthetic - huffingtonpost.co.uk
  I was recently asked to feed these pages with tales of innovation. Innovation - the balm of creativity for commerce and the lip salve for the media. Let's move the shiny things to one side for a moment and talk of things that tickle those who innovate ... Read more on this news related to 'Bridle'
• American Art achieves $34.8 million at Sotheby's led by Edward Hopper's "Bridle Path", sold for $10.4 million - Art Daily
  NEW YORK, NY.-This morning’s auction of American Art at Sotheby’s New York totaled a strong $34,787,625, exceeding its high estimate of $28.4 million* and selling an exceptional 88.1% by lot. This marks the highest total for an American Art auction at ... Read more on this news related to 'Bridle'