Illustration of saddle
- 1 western
- 2 English
often attributive
1
a(1)
: a girthed usually padded and leather-covered seat for the rider of an animal (such as a horse)
(2)
: a part of a driving harness comparable to a saddle that is used to keep the breeching in place
b
: a seat to be straddled by the rider of a vehicle (such as a bicycle)
2
: a device mounted as a support and often shaped to fit the object held
3
a
: a ridge connecting two higher elevations
b
: a pass in a mountain range
4
a
: both sides of the unsplit back of a carcass including both loins
b
: a colored marking on the back of an animal
c
: the rear part of a male fowl's back extending to the tail see duck illustration
5
: the central part of the spine of the binding of a book
6
: a piece of leather across the instep of a shoe
saddled; saddling
ˈsa-dᵊl-iŋ 
ˈsad-liŋ
1
: to put a saddle on
2
a
: to place under a burden or encumbrance
b
: to place (an onerous responsibility) on a person or group
: to mount a saddled horse
Examples of saddle in a Sentence
Noun
the next day's hike was a stiff climb out of the saddle where they had camped for the night
Verb
He saddled his horse and mounted it.
to the social worker it seemed as though her supervisor had once again saddled her with a truly hopeless case
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Kuta, Denver Post, 14 May 2025
The drive unit incorporates the saddle, the front wheel, and a steering wheel equipped with front and rear brake levers.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 10 May 2025
Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
The colt's trainer, Todd Pletcher, has saddled 10 horses at the Preakness and is still seeking his first win.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for saddle
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Noun
Now in its 51st year, the Snowmass Rodeo takes place every Wednesday, rain or shine, delivering classic events like barrel riding, saddle bronc, bull riding and more.
—Sarah Kuta, Denver Post, 14 May 2025
The drive unit incorporates the saddle, the front wheel, and a steering wheel equipped with front and rear brake levers.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 10 May 2025
Verb
Trainer Michael McCarthy saddled the 3-year-old colt to a masterful win Saturday in 1 minute, 55.47 seconds.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
The colt's trainer, Todd Pletcher, has saddled 10 horses at the Preakness and is still seeking his first win.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for saddle
Cite this Entry
“Saddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saddle. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
saddle
1 of 2 noun
sad·dle
ˈsad-ᵊl
1
a
: a padded and leather-covered seat for a horseback rider
b
: a padded part of a harness
c
: a bicycle or motorcycle seat
2
: something like a saddle in shape, position, or use
especially
: a support for an object
Medical Definition
saddle
noun
sad·dle
ˈsad-ᵊl
: the part of a partial denture that carries an artificial tooth and has connectors for adjacent teeth attached to its ends
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