Etymology From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.
1
Equestrianism, Hobbies, Horses, Lifestyle, Pets, Sports The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
[…] the horseman, who is the user of bridles and knows their use1961, J. A. Philip, “Mimesis in the Sophistês”, in Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association, 92, p. 457:
Etymology From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.
1
To put a bridle on.
He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist.1835, Joseph Rodman Drake, The Culprit Fay:
2
To check, restrain, or control with, or as if with, a bridle; as in bridle your tongue.
Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation.1795–1797, Edmund Burke, “(please specify |letter=1 to 4)”, in [Letters on a Regicide Peace], London: [Rivington]:
3
To show hostility or resentment.
Immigrant-rights and religious organizations bridled at the plan to favor highly skilled workers over relatives. (Houston Chronicle, 6/8/2007)