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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

harness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈhɐː.nəs/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
  • /ˈhɑː.nəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈhɑɹ.nəs/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English harneys, harnes, harneis, harnais, herneis, from Anglo-Norman harneis and Old French hernois (“equipment used in battle”), believed to be from Old Norse *hernest, from herr (“army”) + nest (“provisions”) (from Proto-Germanic *nesaną (“to heal, recover”)). More at harry.

Meanings

  1. (countable) A restraint or support, especially one consisting of a loop or network of rope or straps, and especially one worn by a working animal such as a horse pulling a carriage or farm implement.
  2. (countable) A collection of wires or cables bundled and routed according to their function: a wiring harness.
    • The cars then enter the main lines for further assembly - including the installation of internal electrical harnesses, underfloor equipment, internal panelling, roof equipment, carpets, seats and tables. 2024 December 27, Pip Dunn, “Network News: Hitachi pushes on with '810' assembly and testing”, in RAIL, number 1025, page 20:
  3. (dated, uncountable) The complete dress, especially in a military sense, of a man or a horse; armour in general.
    • Under the sea-girt cliffs the shining ship was readied, laden with coats of mail, swords, and gleaming war harness. 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 23:
    • "I'll give thee for my ransom the very best harnéss That either young or old in the world doth possess. 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 210:
    • Ring the alarum-bell! Blow, wind! come, wrack! At least we'll die with harness on our back. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:
  4. (countable, uncountable) 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.
  5. (countable, uncountable) Equipment for any kind of labour.
  6. (countable, uncountable) A software framework.
    • test harness
  7. (countable, qualifier:agentic artificial intelligence, uncountable) A software framework. ▸ A system designed to manage the use of AI agents, specifically in software development.
    • harness engineering

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
harnesses Number=Plur lexicographic
harnass alternative lexicographic

Deriveds

die in harness · harness loop · harness bend · in harness · harness saddle · legharness · Hong Kong harness · harness tub · wiring harness · harnessed antelope · harness racing · out of harness · diaper harness · test harness · harness race · harnesslike · harness hang syndrome · harness bull · cable harness · harnessed moth · disharness · harness cask · Pavlik harness · harnessmaker

Synonyms

shaft

Translations (85)

sl jermen (restraint or support) · he רִתְמָה (restraint or support) · nn sele (restraint or support) · ru упря́жка (restraint or support) · de Anschnallgurt (restraint or support) · pt arnês (restraint or support) · sk postroj (restraint or support) · hi बद्धी (restraint or support) · pl uprząż (restraint or support) · it imbracatura (restraint or support) · uk у́пряж (restraint or support) · bg доспехи (armour) · el χάμουρα (restraint or support) · hu szíj (restraint or support) · ar عِنان (restraint or support) · ro harnașament (restraint or support) · izh valjaat (restraint or support) · la capistrum (restraint or support) · ca arnès (restraint or support) · gv cullee chabbil (restraint or support) · hu heveder (restraint or support) · bg сбру́я (restraint or support) · fi valjaat (restraint or support) · nrf graie (restraint or support) · hu kötélzet (restraint or support) · nrf att'lage (restraint or support) · pt arreios (restraint or support) · izh hepoisenriissat (restraint or support) · fa-ira اِسْتام (restraint or support) · fr harnais (restraint or support) · ru ремни́ (restraint or support) · km អស្សាភរណ៍ (restraint or support) · tr koşum (restraint or support) · ro ham (restraint or support) · be ву́праж (restraint or support) · hu hám (restraint or support) · be збру́я (restraint or support) · pdt Säl (restraint or support) · gv greienys (restraint or support) · uk збру́я (restraint or support) · io harneso (restraint or support) · nl tuig (restraint or support) · sh ȃm (restraint or support) · ga gabháil (restraint or support) · mn морины тоног (restraint or support) · hu lószerszám (restraint or support) · ko 마구 (restraint or support) · hu kantár (restraint or support) · de Harnisch (armour) · ota قوشم (restraint or support) · de Gurt (restraint or support) · es arnés (restraint or support) · ka აკაზმულობა (restraint or support) · it braca (restraint or support) · sh hȃm (restraint or support) · sq fre (restraint or support) · ru доспехи (armour) · tl guwarnisyon (restraint or support) · sv seldon (restraint or support) · it imbrago (restraint or support) · da seletøj (restraint or support) · ga úim (restraint or support) · wa haerna (restraint or support) · lo ອານມ້າ (restraint or support) · sh ха̑м (restraint or support) · de Pferdegeschirr (restraint or support) · hy լծասարք (restraint or support) · ja 馬具 (restraint or support) · ru у́пряжь (restraint or support) · id kekang (restraint or support) · kk әбзел (restraint or support) · hu szíjzat (restraint or support) · ru хому́т (restraint or support) · cs postroj (restraint or support) · sv sele (restraint or support) · de Geschirr (restraint or support) · sh а̑м (restraint or support) · sv harnesk (armour) · el ιπποσκευή (restraint or support) · vi yên cương (restraint or support) · lo ເຄື່ອງທຽມ (restraint or support) · it imbragatura (restraint or support) · cmn 挽具 (restraint or support) · ru сбру́я (restraint or support) · bg хаму́т (restraint or support)

harness en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈhɐː.nəs/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
  • /ˈhɑː.nəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈhɑɹ.nəs/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English harneys, harnes, harneis, harnais, herneis, from Anglo-Norman harneis and Old French hernois (“equipment used in battle”), believed to be from Old Norse *hernest, from herr (“army”) + nest (“provisions”) (from Proto-Germanic *nesaną (“to heal, recover”)). More at harry.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To place a harness on something; to tie up or restrain.
    • 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. 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
    • They harnessed the horse to the post.
  2. (transitive) To capture, control or put to use.
    • 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. 2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:
    • Imagine what might happen if it were possible to harness solar energy fully.
  3. (transitive) To equip with armour.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
harnessed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
harnessed Tense=Past lexicographic
harnessing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
harnesses Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

reharness · harnesser · unharness · harnessable

Synonyms

tackle

Translations (90)

sv exploatera (to control or put to use) · sv ta i anspråk (to control or put to use) · sl zapreči (to place a harness on something) · pl ujarzmić (to place a harness on something) · fi ottaa käyttöön (to control or put to use) · ru запряга́ть (to place a harness on something) · de aufzäumen (to place a harness on something) · pl ujarzmić (to control or put to use) · tr koşum takmak (to place a harness on something) · fi valjastaa (to place a harness on something) · wa alaxhî (to place a harness on something) · pt aproveitar (to control or put to use) · it imbracare (to place a harness on something) · fa کنترل کردن (to place a harness on something) · bg усвоя (to control or put to use) · fi valjastaa (to control or put to use) · uk використо́вувати (to control or put to use) · hu felkantároz (to place a harness on something) · it imbrigliare (to control or put to use) · it imbrigliare (to place a harness on something) · no utnytte (to control or put to use) · nl optuigen (to place a harness on something) · hu kiaknáz (to control or put to use) · io harnesizar (to place a harness on something) · pl zaprząc (to place a harness on something) · ru применить (to control or put to use) · it frenare (to place a harness on something) · hu felhasznál (to control or put to use) · nl gebruiken (to control or put to use) · bg оползотворя (to control or put to use) · ga úim (to place a harness on something) · sv sela (på) (to place a harness on something) · uk прибо́ркувати (to control or put to use) · izh valjastaa (to place a harness on something) · pt arrear (to place a harness on something) · pt atrelar (to place a harness on something) · pl zaprzęgać (to place a harness on something) · ru задействовать (to control or put to use) · uk впрягти́ (to place a harness on something) · ca arrear (to place a harness on something) · es arrear (to place a harness on something) · tr koşum geçirmek (to place a harness on something) · ro înhăma (to place a harness on something) · es utilizar (to control or put to use) · tl mag-unsi (to place a harness on something) · bg оползотворявам (to control or put to use) · sv spänna för (to place a harness on something) · hu hasznosít (to control or put to use) · ota قوشمق (to place a harness on something) · es explotar (to control or put to use) · hu befog (to place a harness on something) · de vorspannen (to place a harness on something) · pl ujarzmiać (to place a harness on something) · tr koşmak (to control or put to use) · pl ujarzmiać (to control or put to use) · fr harnacher (to place a harness on something) · de nutzbar machen (to control or put to use) · tr koşmak (to place a harness on something) · sv binda (to place a harness on something) · ru использовать (to control or put to use) · he רָתַם (to place a harness on something) · nl aanwenden (to control or put to use) · uk ви́користати (to control or put to use) · it imbragare (to place a harness on something) · es instrumentalizar (to control or put to use) · wa ateler (to place a harness on something) · bg усвоявам (to control or put to use) · bg запрягам (to place a harness on something) · ang brūcan (to control or put to use) · hu felszerszámoz (to place a harness on something) · uk запрягти́ (to place a harness on something) · uk впряга́ти (to place a harness on something) · sa युनक्ति (to place a harness on something) · uk запряга́ти (to place a harness on something) · eo jungi (to place a harness on something) · sv utnyttja (to control or put to use) · da udnytte (to control or put to use) · it trattenere (to place a harness on something) · tl iunsi (to place a harness on something) · bg овладявам (to control or put to use) · sv utbygga or bygga ut (to control or put to use) · nl inspannen (to place a harness on something) · bg запрегна (to place a harness on something) · gv greigh (to place a harness on something) · sv tämja (to control or put to use) · es aprovechar (to control or put to use) · bg овладея (to control or put to use) · es emplear (to control or put to use) · uk прибо́ркати (to control or put to use) · es aparejar (to place a harness on something)