Leashed

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /liːʃt/

Definitions

1. Confined by a strap or cord that curtails motion, typically utilized for pets
2. Held or fastened by a strap or cord to restrict movement, often used for animals
3. Attached to a tether or strap to prevent free movement, commonly seen with pets

Etymology: The past form of "leash" is "leashed," and the noun behind it has a more surprising history than its sound suggests. Its ancestor was a word meaning "loose," and the leash was named for what it did not do. Old French "lesse," modern "laisse," came from a verb meaning to let go or release, and the cord got its name from the idea of being slackened. English first borrowed the word as "lees," "leese," or "lese," and it took on several spellings before settling on "leash" in the form we use now. The change to "leash" came through a variant "leesshe" and related forms in Middle English, so the word went through a long period of uncertain spelling before its modern shape appeared. The same root gives English "lax," which shares the sense of something loosened or not held tight. Nothing about a modern dog walk suggests slackness, yet the leash is, etymologically, a cord that lets something loose.

Synonyms: tethered, restrained

Antonyms: unleashed, free