saddle n
1. a seat for the rider of a horse
2. a pass or ridge that slopes gently between two peaks (is shaped like a saddle) [syn: saddleback]
3. cut of meat (especially mutton or lamb) consisting of part of the backbone and both loins
4. a piece of leather across the instep of a shoe
5. a seat for the rider of a bicycle [syn: bicycle seat]
6. posterior part of the back of a domestic fowl v
7. put a saddle on; "saddle the horses" [ant: unsaddle]
8. load or burden; encumber; "he saddled me with that heavy responsibility"
9. impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to; "He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend" [syn: charge, burden]

Saddle \Sad"dle\, n. [OE. sadel, AS. sadol; akin to D. zadel, G. sattel, OHG. satal, satul, Icel. s["o][eth]ull, Dan. & Sw. sadel; cf. Russ. siedlo; all perh. ultimately from the root of E. sit.]
1. A seat for a rider, -- usually made of leather, padded to span comfortably a horse's back, furnished with stirrups for the rider's feet to rest in, and fastened in place with a girth; also, a seat for the rider on a bicycle or tricycle.
2. A padded part of a harness which is worn on a horse's back, being fastened in place with a girth. It serves various purposes, as to keep the breeching in place, carry guides for the reins, etc.
3. A piece of meat containing a part of the backbone of an animal with the ribs on each side; as, a saddle of mutton, of venison, etc.
4. (Naut.) A block of wood, usually fastened to some spar, and shaped to receive the end of another spar.
5. (Mach.) A part, as a flange, which is hollowed out to fit upon a convex surface and serve as a means of attachment or support.
6. (Zo["o]l.) The clitellus of an earthworm.
7. (Arch.) The threshold of a door, when a separate piece from the floor or landing; -- so called because it spans and covers the joint between two floors. Saddle bar (Arch.), one the small iron bars to which the lead panels of a glazed window are secured. --Oxf. Gloss. Saddle gall (Far.), a sore or gall upon a horse's back, made by the saddle. Saddle girth, a band passing round the body of a horse to hold the saddle in its place. saddle horse, a horse suitable or trained for riding with a saddle. Saddle joint, in sheet-metal roofing, a joint formed by bending up the edge of a sheet and folding it downward over the turned-up edge of the next sheet. 220 catflap.bishopston.net dictd 1.11.2/rf on FreeBSD 8.1-STABLE <221201.41651.1288199673@catflap.bishopston.net>

See more meaning on Saddle...

A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures. The earliest saddles were simple pads attached with a surcingle seen by 800 BC, with the saddle tree coming into use circa 200 BC, and paired stirrups by 302 AD. Saddles in the styles seen today date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, modern saddle comes in a wide variety of styles, each designed for a specific equestrianism discipline, and require careful fit to both the rider and the horse. Proper saddle care can extend the useful life of a saddle, often for decades.

There is evidence, though disputed, that man first began riding the horse not long after domestication, possibly as early as 4000 BC. It is not known precisely when riders first began to use some sort of padding or protection, but a blanket attached by some form of surcingle was probably the first "saddle," followed later by more elaborate padded designs. The solid tree was a later invention, and though early stirrup designs predated the invention of the solid tree, the paired stirrup, which attached to the tree, was the last element of the saddle to reach the basic form that is still used today.

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