- [countable, usually plural] a long narrow leather band that is attached to a metal bar in a horse’s mouth (= a bit) and is held by the rider in order to control the horse
- She pulled gently on the reins.
Extra Examples- Sean gathered up the horse's reins.
- She had the horse on a long rein.
- She pulled sharply on the reins.
- He took the reins and walked the horse down the street.
- She jerked the reins and put the pony into a trot.
- Shorten your reins and lean forward more.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + rein- hold
- gather
- gather up
- …
- on a rein
- give free rein to something
- give full rein to something
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- reins[plural] (British English) a pair of long narrow pieces of cloth or other material worn by a small child and held by an adult in order to stop the child from walking off and getting lost
- the reins[plural] the state of being in control or the leader of something
- It was time to hand over the reins of power (= to give control to somebody else).
- The vice-president was forced to take up the reins of office.
Extra Examples- He seized the reins of power.
- It's the Treasury that effectively holds the reins.
- It's the accountants who effectively hold the reins.
- Parents need to loosen the reins as the child grows.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + the reins- hold
- grasp
- seize
- …
- the reins of government
- the reins of office
- the reins of power
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French rene, based on Latin retinere ‘retain’.
Idioms
See rein in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee rein in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishgive/allow somebody/something free/full rein | give/allow free/full rein to something
- to give somebody complete freedom of action; to allow a feeling to be expressed freely
- The designer was given free rein.
- The script allows full rein to her larger-than-life acting style.
- When I paint I just give my imagination free rein.
Homophones rain | reign | reinrain reign rein/reɪn//reɪn/- rain noun
- Look at that rain! We'll be drenched if it doesn't stop.
- rain verb
- Take an umbrella—it's going to rain.
- reign noun
- The country changed dramatically during her long reign.
- reign verb
- Henry Bolingbroke was soon to reign in England as Henry IV.
- rein noun
- She's been given free rein to spend the money however she wants.
- rein verb
- Steps were taken to rein in expenditure.
keep a tight rein on somebody/something
- to control somebody/something carefully or strictly
- It’s essential to keep a tight rein on public spending.
Check pronunciation:
rein