Syn. — A check; restrain.
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), v. i. To hold up the head, and draw in the chin, as an expression of pride, scorn, or
resentment; to assume a lofty manner; — usually with up. "His bridling neck." Wordsworth.
By her bridling up I perceived she expected to be treated hereafter not as Jenny Distaff, but Mrs. Tranquillus.
Tatler.
Bridle iron
(Bri"dle i`ron) (Arch.) A strong flat bar of iron, so bent as to support, as in a stirrup, one end
of a floor timber, etc., where no sufficient bearing can be had; — called also stirrup and hanger.
Bridler
(Bri"dler) n. One who bridles; one who restrains and governs, as with a bridle. Milton.
Bridoon
(Bri*doon") n. [F. bridon, from bride; of German origin. See Bridle, n.] (Mil.) The snaffle
and rein of a military bridle, which acts independently of the bit, at the pleasure of the rider. It is used in
connection with a curb bit, which has its own rein. Campbell.
Brief
(Brief) a. [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr. short, and perh. to Skr. barh to tear.
Cf. Breve.]
1. Short in duration.
How brief the life of man.
Shak.
2. Concise; terse; succinct.
The brief style is that which expresseth much in little.
B. Jonson.
3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.]
In brief. See under Brief, n.
Syn. — Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious; condensed; terse; curt; transitory; short-lived.
Brief
(Brief), adv.
1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic]
Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief.
Milton.
2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] Shak.
Brief
(Brief) n. [See Brief, a., and cf. Breve.]
