1
a
: a line (as of rope or chain) by which an animal is fastened so as to restrict its range of movement
b
: a line to which someone or something is attached (as for security)
A crewman can clip the tether of his harness to the [safety line] and leave it clipped as he makes his way forward and aft.—
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith2
: the limit of one's strength or resources
I'm at the end of my tether.
tethered; tethering
ˈte-t͟h(ə-)riŋ 
: to fasten or restrain by or as if by a tether
felt tethered to her desk until the work was done
Examples of tether in a Sentence
Verb
They tethered the horses in the shade.
The dog was tethered to the fence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024
Additionally, it can be lowered on tethers or mounted on poles for strategic placement.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 25 Sep. 2024
IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2024
But tethered inside the shallow and narrow Santa Cruz Harbor, few of the cruisers, catamarans and yachts were prepared for the fury of this week’s storm surge, which sunk at least 15 vessels and damaged many more.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether 
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Noun
Some companies have been working on tethers, essentially long metal strips that would fly behind satellites and convert their kinetic energy into electrical energy, slowing the satellite and sending it downward.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024
Additionally, it can be lowered on tethers or mounted on poles for strategic placement.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 25 Sep. 2024
Verb
The barge floats in an old section of the Port of Los Angeles, tethered to an out-of-use terminal where sea lions sometimes visit.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2024
But tethered inside the shallow and narrow Santa Cruz Harbor, few of the cruisers, catamarans and yachts were prepared for the fury of this week’s storm surge, which sunk at least 15 vessels and damaged many more.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tether
Dictionary Entries Near tether
Cite this Entry
“Tether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tether. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tether
1 of 2 noun
teth·er
ˈtet͟h-ər
: a line by which something (as an animal or a balloon) is fastened so as to limit its range
tether
2 of 2 verb
tethered; tethering
ˈtet͟h-(ə-)riŋ
: to fasten or hold with or as if with a tether
felt tethered to my desk
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