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Leash vs Harness - What's the difference?

leash | harness | Synonyms |

As nouns the difference between leash and harness

is that leash is a strap, cord or rope with which to restrain an animal, often a dog while harness is a restraint or support, especially one consisting of a loop or network of rope or straps.

As verbs the difference between leash and harness

is that leash is to fasten or secure with a leash while harness is to place a harness on something; to tie up or restrain.

leash

English

Noun

(es)
  • A strap, cord or rope with which to restrain an animal, often a dog.
  • * Shakespeare
    • like a fawning greyhound in the leash
  • A brace and a half; a tierce.
  • A set of three; three creatures of any kind, especially greyhounds, foxes, bucks, and hares; hence, the number three in general.
  • * 1597 , , by Shakespeare
    • Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of drawers; and can call them all by their Christian names, as, Tom, Dick, and Francis.
  • * 1663 ,
    • It had an odd promiscuous tone, / As if h' had talk'd three parts in one; / Which made some think, when he did gabble, / Th' had heard three labourers of Babel; / Or Cerberus himself pronounce / A leash of languages at once.
  • * Ben Jonson
    • [I] kept my chamber a leash of days.
  • * Tennyson
    • Then were I wealthier than a leash of kings.
  • A string with a loop at the end for lifting warp threads, in a loom.
  • (surfing) A leg rope.
    • 1980: Probably the idea was around before that, but the first photo of the leash in action was published that year'' — ''As Years Roll By (1970's Retrospective) , Drew Kampion, magazine, February 1980, page 43. Quoted at surfresearch.com.au glossary[http://www.surfresearch.com.au/agl.html].

    Synonyms

    * (strap or cord used to restrain a dog)

    Verb

    (es)
  • To fasten or secure with a leash.
  • (figuratively) to curb, restrain
  • * 1919 , :
    • Man is brow-beaten, leashed , muzzled, masked, and lashed by boards and councils, by leagues and societies, by church and state.

    Antonyms

    * unleash

    References

    * * (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

    * * * * * *

    harness

    English

    Noun

    (es)
  • (countable) A restraint or support, especially one consisting of a loop or network of rope or straps.
  • (countable) A collection of wires or cables bundled and routed according to their function.
  • (dated) The complete dress, especially in a military sense, of a man or a horse; armour in general.
  • * 1606 William Shakespeare, Macbeth , act V, scene V
    • Ring the alarum-bell! Blow, wind! come, wrack!
    At least we'll die with harness on our back.
  • The part of a loom comprising the heddles, with their means of support and motion, by which the threads of the warp are alternately raised and depressed for the passage of the shuttle.

    • Derived terms

    * harnessed antelope * harnessed moth * test harness

    Verb

    (es)
  • To place a harness on something; to tie up or restrain.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.}}
  • To capture, control or put to use.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-16, author= John Vidal
    • , volume=189, issue=10, page=8, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas , passage=Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.}}

    See also

    * (wikipedia "harness") *