All 13 Uses of
rein
in
Cold Sassy Tree
- He let me keep the reins.†
reins = a means of control -- most commonly the straps attached to a bit in a horse's mouth that are used to control it OR restrains or controls
- Ever since she passed, it's been like Mania's lost holt of the reins.
*reins = means of control (figuratively referencing the straps used to control a horse)
- He flopped the reins.†
reins = a means of control -- most commonly the straps attached to a bit in a horse's mouth that are used to control it OR restrains or controls
- Mr. Lias clucked his cheek sideways and flipped the reins till the horses picked up their trot.†
- He just sat there, flopping the reins every now and again or slapping at a fly or fanning his leathery face with his straw hat.†
- Reins jiggling, horses snorting and pooting, buggy rocking and creaking, steel wheel rims hitting rocks, a caw-caw from a crow somewhere, T.R. way off in the woods, barking at something.†
- Another mile and Mr. Lias's gravelly old voice said, "I was pitchin' hay one mornin', Sal up thar on the wagon seat a-holdin' the reins, when here come Mr. James Henry's bull.†
- If Santy Claus had been out there with his sleigh and his rein deer that hot Sunday morning, it wouldn't of been any more surprising than the sight of Papa grinning like a chessy cat from the driver's seat of a big shiny red Cadillac car!†
rein = restrain or control
- At the well he reined in and the girl slid off to drink from the flowing pipe.†
reined in = restrained
- Giddy-up now, son, let's see does it know gee from haw with you a-holdin' the reins.†
reins = a means of control -- most commonly the straps attached to a bit in a horse's mouth that are used to control it OR restrains or controls
- When she reined in, the horse prancing sideways and jerking the bit, she asked if I thought Papa and Mama would be willing to leave at daybreak.†
reined in = restrained
- After that, they were behind the horse every day, bundled up together under the automobile lap robes, her holding the reins and the whip, him sitting stiff and straight beside her.†
reins = a means of control -- most commonly the straps attached to a bit in a horse's mouth that are used to control it OR restrains or controls
- What Grandpa would of really enjoyed, haw, was the sight of Mr. Birdsong reining in the black horses pulling his ambulance-hearse just as our procession turned into the street!
reining in = restraining
Definition:
to restrain or control; or a means of control
The meaning of rein depends upon its context. For example:
- "keep a tight rein on the new employee," or "rein in a horse" -- to control or restrain
- "give the new employee free rein," or "give the horse full rein" -- do not restrain
- "the reins of government" -- means of control
- "the reins of the horse" -- leather straps used with a bit to control a horse (You might like to think of other senses of rein as being figurative derivations from this sense.)