bridle

Etymology

From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.

noun

1. (equestrianism) The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
   […] the horseman, who is the user of bridles and knows their use 1961, J. A. Philip, “Mimesis in the Sophistês”, in Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association, 92, p. 457
2. (figurative) A restraint; a curb; a check.
   Let wisdom put a bridle on them before they are grown head-strong and unruly 1729, Isaac Watts, The Doctrine of the Passions explain'd and improv'd
3. A length of line or cable attached to two parts of something to spread the force of a pull, as the rigging on a kite for attaching line.
4. A mooring hawser.
5. A piece in the interior of a gunlock which holds in place the tumbler, sear, etc.
6. A gesture expressing pride or vanity.

verb

1. (transitive) To put a bridle on.
   He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist. 1835, Joseph Rodman Drake, The Culprit Fay
2. (transitive) To check, restrain, or control with, or as if with, a bridle; as in bridle your tongue.
3. (intransitive) To show hostility or resentment.
   Immigrant-rights and religious organizations bridled at the plan to favor highly skilled workers over relatives. (Houston Chronicle, 6/8/2007)
4. (intransitive) To hold up one's head proudly or affectedly.