66 uses
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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.)
- Frog Lip reined in his horse and watched as both cows fell through the roof of the sod house.Chapters 68-69 (48% in)
reined in = restrained or controlled (by pulling on straps used to control a horse)
- They rode right up to the back porch before they drew rein.Chapters 5-6 (51% in)
- Her shoulders were bare, which startled him so that he dropped a rein.Chapters 7-8 (78% in)
- It was only when they loped over a ridge and surprised a sizable herd of longhorns that the Captain drew rein.Chapters 9-10 (52% in)
- Stepping to the end of his rein, he began to relieve himself.Chapters 9-10 (53% in)
- When they had ridden south two or three more miles, Call drew rein.Chapters 9-10 (69% in)
- " Newt gripped his reins tightly and mashed his hat down on his head every few minutes—he didn't want to lose his hat.Chapters 9-10 (72% in)
- " "I'm going a little closer," Deets said, handing Newt his reins.Chapters 9-10 (74% in)
- With his eyes toward the gunfire Newt was unprepared for the leap, and lost a stirrup and one rein but held on to the saddle horn and kept his seat.Chapters 11-12 (33% in)
- Call loosened his rein and let the mare drink.Chapters 11-12 (44% in)
- Call let the mare drink all she wanted before gathering his rein.Chapters 11-12 (45% in)
- When he took the reins Lorena felt a deeper fright than she had ever known.Chapters 30-31 (32% in)
- The black man was looking back watchfully, lifting her reins a bit so as to keep the horse's head out of the water.Chapters 30-31 (34% in)
- With a smile, the black man handed her back her wet reins.Chapters 30-31 (35% in)
- JAKE HAD FORGOTTEN to hobble the horses—he remembered it when the first lightning struck and Lorena's young mare suddenly snapped her rein and ran off.Chapters 32-33 (1% in)
- Newt held his reins, still crying, and let Mouse do the work.Chapters 34-35 (80% in)
- The mules had the stump moving, and she kept at them, popping them with the reins and yelling at them as if they were deaf, while Roscoe lay there and watched the big stump slowly come out of the hole where it had been for so many years.Chapters 36-37 (42% in)
- Lippy was on the seat, but he didn't have the reins and couldn't stop the team.Chapters 40-41 (46% in)
- " "Gracias, Capitan," Bol said, when Call handed him the reins to the gelding.Chapters 40-41 (87% in)
- But he had taken a wrap around his hand with one rein and held on, hoping the rein wouldn't snap.Chapters 44-45 (40% in)
- But he had taken a wrap around his hand with one rein and held on, hoping the rein wouldn't snap.Chapters 44-45 (40% in)
- The rein held, and Call got to his feet and caught the other rein.Chapters 44-45 (40% in)
- The rein held, and Call got to his feet and caught the other rein.Chapters 44-45 (40% in)
- He decided to find some braided horsehair reins when he got to Austin—the thin leather rein he was using could easily have snapped.Chapters 44-45 (43% in)
- He decided to find some braided horsehair reins when he got to Austin—the thin leather rein he was using could easily have snapped.Chapters 44-45 (43% in)
- He looped his rein over a tree limb and went walking back toward Lorena's.Chapters 46-47 (68% in)
- Newt knew the stampede might have scared him and caused him to break the rein, but there was no broken rein hanging from the tree where Mouse had been tied.Chapters 46-47 (74% in)
- Newt knew the stampede might have scared him and caused him to break the rein, but there was no broken rein hanging from the tree where Mouse had been tied.Chapters 46-47 (74% in)
- She wanted to turn her horse and flee, hopeless as that was, but while she sat in a cold sweat of fear Blue Duck turned and caught her bridle, wrapping her reins around his saddle horn.Chapters 48-49 (90% in)
- Then Blue Duck reined in and quickly dropped the saddle off his horse.Chapters 48-49 (97% in)
- He wheeled the horse around and started to put him into a run, but Janey jerked on the reins.Chapters 52-53 (14% in)
- Roscoe was slumped over the horn, asleep, and the girl held the reins.Chapters 52-53 (55% in)
- Then he drew his knife, wrapped the bridle reins tightly around one hand, and jabbed the knife into the horse's neck, slashing the jugular vein.Chapters 56-57 (8% in)
- Finally, with the camp not more than a mile away, Augustus drew rein.Chapters 56-57 (70% in)
- He had kept a tight grip on the reins and the horse didn't break free, but Newt had a time calming him enough that he could remount.Chapters 62-63 (13% in)
- Again, he managed to hang on to his reins, but he was naked, and hailstones were pounding all around him.Chapters 62-63 (44% in)
- Luke had to grab the reins with his pants half down, and when he did, Elmira grabbed Zwey's extra rifle.Chapters 66-67 (13% in)
- They were fifty yards from the tent, so Call drew rein.Chapters 66-67 (48% in)
- When he tried to change his reins from one hand to another, he closed his hand on several grasshoppers and almost dropped his rein.Chapters 66-67 (77% in)
- When he tried to change his reins from one hand to another, he closed his hand on several grasshoppers and almost dropped his rein.Chapters 66-67 (77% in)
- Little Eddie handed Jake his rein.Chapters 68-69 (26% in)
- Newt was about to take the reins when Dish Boggett intervened.Chapters 70-71 (5% in)
- The moon was well over in the west before Dan Suggs drew rein.Chapters 70-71 (57% in)
- "He must have slept with the damn reins in his hand or he'd have never got to his horse.Chapters 70-71 (70% in)
- "I found the man," Deets said, drawing rein.Chapters 72-73 (14% in)
- Captain Call drew rein, but Augustus rode up to them and shot two with his pistol.Chapters 74-74 (5% in)
- Call took the rein of Dan Suggs's horse, just in case Dan tried some-thing—though there was little he could try.Chapters 74-74 (66% in)
- The woman drew rein and looked down at them as if dazed.Chapters 75-76 (45% in)
- Zwey immediately handed the reins to Luke and went back to help cover her up.Chapters 75-76 (84% in)
- He spat once more at Dish and reached to take the filly's reins.Chapters 85-86 (19% in)
- Dish took the reins and patted her on the neck.Chapters 85-86 (38% in)
- He popped the team with the reins and rode out of town, thinking how young the boys were.Chapters 85-86 (48% in)
- Jimmy's horse would ride double, but not triple, so Newt had to walk the last two miles, annoyed with himself for not having kept a grip on the reins.Chapters 85-86 (99% in)
- Clara asked, handing him the reins to the little mule team before he could answer.Chapters 87-88 (50% in)
- He reached for his reins, but they were not there.Chapters 89-90 (45% in)
- Then, to his amazement, he saw that Deets had taken his reins and was leading the Hell Bitch.Chapters 89-90 (45% in)
- Deets stopped and gave him his reins.Chapters 89-90 (45% in)
- He sawed on the reins with all his might but the bit seemed to make no difference to the horse.Chapters 91-92 (15% in)
- Call looked and saw that the mules were dashing off back toward the Powder, Lippy sawing futilely on the reins and bouncing a foot off the wagon seat from time to time.Chapters 91-92 (20% in)
- The Hell Bitch danced backward, and Augustus's horse began to pitch again and threw him, though Augustus held the rein and managed to get his rifle out of the scabbard before the horse broke free and fled.Chapters 91-92 (29% in)
- "Let's go, Custer," Augustus said, giving the horse rein and remembering not to kick him.Chapters 95-96 (28% in)
- They had to be taught to rein, and, if possible, to take an interest in cattle.Chapters 97-98 (92% in)
- Then he handed Newt the reins and went over and took his big Henry out of its scabbard.Chapters 99-100 (88% in)
- He himself was far worse, for he had been dishonest about his own son, who stood not ten feet away, holding the reins of the Hell Bitch.Chapters 99-100 (90% in)
- Then, before he had scarcely reined in at Clara's house, where he found Dish Boggett breaking horses with the young sheriff from Arkansas, the woman began a quarrel with him.Chapters 101-102 (9% in)
- When Call dismounted and dropped his reins old Bolivar walked over, trembling, a look of disbelief on his face.Chapters 101-102 (94% in)
There are no more uses of "rein" in Lonesome Dove.
Typical Usage
(best examples)