Etymology From Middle English sadel, from Old English sadol, from Proto-West Germanic *sadul, from Proto-Germanic *sadulaz (“saddle”). Further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *sod-dʰlo-, from *sed- (“to sit”) + *-dʰlom (a variant of *-trom (suffix forming nouns denoting instruments or tools)), though the Oxford English Dictionary says this “presents formal difficulties”. Cognates * Danish sadel * Dutch zadel * German Sattel * Icelandic söðull * Low German Sadel * Russian седло́ (sedló) * Saterland Frisian Soadel * Scots sadil * Swedish sadel * West Frisian seal
A seat for a rider, typically made of leather and raised in the front and rear, placed on the back of a horse or other animal, and secured by a strap around the animal's body.
His [Cotton's] Horſe vvas led before, vvith a mourning Veluet Saddle on his backe, his Coffin had a Crimſon Sattin Quilt lined with purple Silke, ouer him vvas laid his Bible, Svvord and Hat: […]1634, T[homas] H[erbert], “The Death of Sir Dodmore Cotton Ambassadour, at Cazbeen”, in A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby, and Jacob Bloome, →OCLC, page 126:
My horse's bridle they [robbers] slipt, and search'd yᵉ saddle, which they pull'd off, but let the horse graze, and then turning againe bridl'd him and tied him to a tree, yet so as he might graze, and thus left me bound.1652 June 20 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 11 June 1652]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 266:
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Consider your master's health, and rather than let him take long journeys, […] leave one of his horse's fore shoes loose in the morning; or contrive that the saddle may pinch the beast in the withers; or keep him without corn all night and morning, so that he may tire on the road; […]1731 (date written; published 1745), [Jonathan] Swift, “V (Directions to the Groom)”, in Directions to Servants […], London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], and M. Cooper, […], →OCLC, page 152:
I saw many brave men cut down, many fall mortally wounded from their saddles.[1877], Anna Sewell, “An Old War Horse”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part III, page 164:
So he made the best of it, and prepared for me his own splendid riding-camel, saddled with his own saddle, and hung with luxurious housings and cushions of Nejd leather-work pierced and inlaid in various colours, with plaited fringes and nets embroidered with metal tissues.1922 (date written; published 1926), T[homas] E[dward] Lawrence, “Book I: The Discovery of Feisal. Chapter X.”, in Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, published 1937, →OCLC, page 76:
2
A similar implement used to secure goods to animals; a packsaddle.
3
Synonym of harness saddle (“the part of a harness which supports the weight of poles or shafts attaching a vehicle to a horse or other animal”).
4
A cushion used as a seat in a cart or other vehicle.
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The immovable seat of a bicycle, motorcycle, or similar vehicle.
6
Broadly Chiefly preceded by the: horse-riding as an activity or occupation.
[A] good horſeman, […] is ſkilfull to knovv, and hable to tell others, hovv, by certain ſure ſignes, a man may choiſe a colte, that is like to prove an other day excellent for the ſaddle.1545, Roger Ascham, Toxophilus, the Schole of Shootinge […], London: […] Edouardi Whytchurch, →OCLC:
[A]nd the third ſort [of camel] are called Ragnahil, vvhich are of lovver ſtature and learner bodies then the reſidue, vnfit for burthen, and therefore are vſed for the ſaddle, by all the Noble men of Numidia, Arabia, and Libia: […]1607, Conradus Gesnerus [i.e., Conrad Gessner]; Edward Topsell, “Of the Camell Dromedarie”, in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, →OCLC, page 99:
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Well said!—are thy friends ripe for the saddle?1835, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], “Looking after the Halter when the Mare is Stolen”, in Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes. […], volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, book II (The Revolution), page 285:
He travelled in company with them until they reached the Sweet Water; then taking a couple of horses, one for the saddle, and the other as a packhorse, he started off express for Pierre's Hole, to make arrangements against their arrival, that he might commence his hunting campaign before the rival company.1837, Washington Irving, chapter VI, in The Rocky Mountains: Or, Scenes, Incidents, and Adventures in the Far West; […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: [Henry Charles] Carey, [Isaac] Lea, & Blanchard, →OCLC, page 74:
'Sir King, mine ancient wound is hardly whole, / And lets me from the saddle;' and the King / Glanced first at him, then her, and went his way.1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Elaine”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 152:
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Broadly Synonym of saddle brown (“a medium brown colour, like that of saddle leather”).
› Something resembling a saddle (sense 1) in…
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A low point, in the shape of a saddle, between two hills.
The Hill Zeliſco bore S.E. vvhich is a very high Hill in the Country, vvith a Saddle or bending on the top.1697, William Dampier, chapter IX, in A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, page 267:
[W]e had to dismount and lead our animals [camels] up a narrow hill-path with broken steps of rock so polished by long years of passing feet that they were dangerous in wet weather. […] After fifteen minutes of this we were glad to reach a high saddle on which former travellers had piled little cairns of commemoration and thankfulness.1922 (date written; published 1926), T[homas] E[dward] Lawrence, “Book III: A Railway Diversion. Chapter XXXI.”, in Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, published 1937, →OCLC, page 180:
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So we continue climbing to the saddle of the Kleine Scheidegg, where ahead there comes into view the wide expanse of the Grindelwald valley, backed by the snowy crown of the Wetterhorn.1960 December, Voyageur [pseudonym], “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 752:
With Lizzie leading, they scrambled quickly over several false peaks towards the saddle.1977, John Le Carré [pseudonym; David John Moore Cornwell], “Nelson”, in The Honourable Schoolboy, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →ISBN, page 514:
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A cut of meat that includes both loins and part of the backbone.
To roast a leg, haunch, or saddle of mutton. […] A modern refinement is to put laver in the dripping-pan, which, in basting, imparts a high gout; or a large saddle may be served over a pound and a half of laver, stewed in brown sauce with catsup and seasonings.1847, Margaret Dods [pseudonym; Christian Isobel Johnstone], “Roasting”, in The Cook and Housewife’s Manual. […], 8th edition, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd; London; Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., →OCLC, paragraph 19, pages 106–107:
Certainly, in the gravy soups, turbot, hare, roast saddles, cabinet puddings, boiled eggs at tea-time and bread and butter and meat paste with the morning tray, one tasted one's own decadence: a tradition had been preserved in order to humiliate. Perhaps it really was time the British limped out of Malaya.1958, Anthony Burgess, chapter 6, in The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy), London: William Heinemann, published 1979, →ISBN, page 71:
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Dentistry, Medicine, Sciences The part of a denture which holds the artificial teeth.
11
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences An equipment part, such as a flange, which is hollowed out to fit upon a convex surface and serve as a means of attachment or support.
[…] with this arrangement the cylinders are cast separately from the saddle, and bolted to the frames on each side with a fabricated stiffener between the frames. This stiffener is carried up to form the saddle for the smokebox, and within it is fitted the exhaust pipes from the cylinders to the blast pipe.1944 November and December, “Modified G.W.R. "Hall" Class Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 350:
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Geography, Geology, Natural sciences An anticline (“fold with strata sloping downwards on each side”); specifically, a depression located along the axial trend of such a fold.
› Something resembling a saddle (sense 1) in… › An anticline (“fold with strata sloping…
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Business, Geography, Geology, Mining, Natural sciencesAustralia Synonym of saddle reef (“a saddle-shaped bedded mineral (usually gold-bearing quartz) vein occurring along the crest of an anticline or (less common) a syncline (an inverted saddle)”).
› Something resembling a saddle (sense 1) in…
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Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences Synonym of saddle point (“a point in the range of a smooth function, every neighbourhood of which contains points on each side of its tangent plane”).
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Arts, Crafts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Lutherie The part of a guitar which supports the strings and, in an acoustic guitar, transfers their vibrations through the bridge to the soundboard.
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Arts, Crafts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Lutherie A small object (traditionally made of ebony) at the bottom of a string instrument such as a cello, viola, or violin below the tailpiece on which the tailgut (“cord securing the tailpiece to the instrument”) rests.
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Nautical, Transport A block of wood with concave depressions at the top and bottom, usually fastened to one spar and shaped to receive the end of another.
Door Shoes - (doors with saddle threshold) are [strips that] provide a seal between the door and the threshold.1994 09, DIANE Publishing Company, Four-H Home Conservation Guide: A Collection of Hands-On Projects and Information Which Teach Home Energy Conservation Skills, DIANE Publishing, →ISBN, page 7:
How to Replace an Exterior Door Threshold. 1. [Image of a floorboard in a doorway.] Remove the old saddle. This may be as easy as unscrewing the saddle and prying it out. If necessary, cut the old saddle in two using a reciprocating saw, then pry out the saddle. Be careful not to damage the flooring or the door frame. Note which edge of the saddle is more steeply beveled; the new saddle should be installed the same way.2008 September 1, Editors of Creative Publishing, Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair: with 350 Projects and 2000 Photos, Cool Springs Press, →ISBN, page 119:
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[The part of a] door that is generally referred to as the "threshold" is actually made up of two separate components : a sill , which serves as the bottom of the door frame and diverts water and dirt away from the home, and the threshold or saddle[…]2016 April 1, Editors of Cool Springs Press, Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair, 4th Edition, Cool Springs Press, →ISBN, page 130:
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Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology The clitellum of an earthworm (family Lumbricidae).
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Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology The lower part of the back of a domestic fowl, especially a male bird, bearing the saddle feathers or saddle hackles.
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Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology In full saddle marking or saddle patch: a saddle-like marking on an animal, such as one on the back of an adult harp seal or saddleback seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), or any of numerous such markings on a boa constrictor (Boa constrictor).
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US A piece of leather stitched across the instep of a shoe, usually having a different colour from the rest of the shoe.
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US Synonym of saddle oxford or saddle shoe (“a shoe, resembling an oxford, which has a saddle (sense 11.1)”).
'Now then … What'll it be, boys?' Mr Berman asked. / My mother answered. 'Brown-and-white saddles for Fudge and loafers for Peter.'1972, Judy Blume, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, New York, N.Y.: Dutton Children’s Books, →ISBN, page 56:
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Broadcasting, Media A timeslot between two popular programmes, in which another programme can be scheduled to encourage people to watch it.
In "hammocking," a new program is placed in the "saddle" between two established hits, or "tent poles."1995, Lee Bogart, Commercial Culture: The Media System and the Public Interest, page 227:
Etymology From Middle English sadelen (“to put a saddle on (an animal), to saddle”) [and other forms], from Old English sadolian, sadelian, sadilian (“to saddle”), from Proto-Germanic *sadulōną (“to saddle”), from *sadulaz (“a saddle”, noun) (see further at etymology 1) + *-ōną (suffix forming denominative verbs from nouns). Cognates * Middle Dutch sādelen (modern Dutch zadelen) * Middle Low German sādelen * Old Danish sathlæ (modern Danish sadle) * Old High German satalōn, satulōn (Middle High German satelen, sateln, German satteln) * Old Norse sǫðla * Old Swedish saþla (modern Swedish sadla)
Then roſe Balaam vp in the mornynge, & ſadled his Aſſe, & wente wͪ the prynces of yͤ Moabites.1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Numerus [Numbers] xxij:[21], folio lxvii, recto, column 2:
Saddle your horſe on the race day in the ſtable before you leade him forth, and fixe both the pannell and the girthes to his backe and ſides vvith Shooe-makers vvaxe to preuent all daungers.1615, G[ervase] M[arkham], “[The Husbandmans Recreations: […].] Of the Ordering and Dyeting of the Running Horse.”, in Countrey Contentments, in Two Bookes: The First, Containing the Whole Art of Riding Great Horses in Very Short Time, […] The Second Intituled, The English Huswife: […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for R[oger] Iackson, […], →OCLC, 2nd section (Of Horse-manshippe), page 84:
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vno pienſa el Báyo, otro que lo ensilla, the bay horſe thinketh one thing, and he that ſaddleth him thinketh another thing.1623, Richard Percivale, John Minsheu, “Báyo”, in A Dictionary in Spanish and English: […], London: […] Iohn Haviland for William Aspley, →OCLC, page 44, column 1:
Some fevv of the horſes kept their ſtanding ſtill unaffrighted, and even thoſe they had much ado to ſaddle, to bridle, and to mount upon; […]1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “[Book XXXVII]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie […], London: […] W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge, […], →OCLC, page 766:
"Nay, nay, Reynallt," said Ap Teudor, replying to the angry glance of the Forester, "thou saddlest the wrong steed: like the Abbot, I have no voice but that of obedience."1853, R[ichard] W[illiams] Morgan, “The Venedotian and His Land”, in Raymond de Monthault, the Lord Marcher: A Legend of the Welch Borders. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 50:
And he [Abraham] doth rise up with the morrow's dawn, / And for that bidden flame, the wood straightway / He cleaveth now; and saddleth his ass; / And taking him his son [Isaac] and servants hence, / Doth journey thitherward—full of his God.1892, George Ferguson, “Canto VI. Earth’s Phases: The Ministry of Night: Early Temples.”, in Our Earth—Night to Twilight, volume I, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin […], →OCLC, page 155:
2
To put (something) on to another thing like a saddle on an animal.
Reſolv'd for Sea, the Slaves thy Baggage pack; / Each ſaddled, vvith his Burden on his back: […]1693, Aulus Persius Flaccus, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus.] The Fifth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 68, lines 207–208:
The centre of the nest is what I would call saddled on the bough, the materials being laid so that the nest is thinner in its middle part and thicker at the two opposite sides, so as to have a firm hold.1831, John James Audubon, “Purple Grackle or Common Crow-blackbird. Quiscalus versicolor, Vieill. […]”, in Ornithological Biography, or An Account of the Habits of the Birds of the United States of America; […], Edinburgh: Adam Black, […], →OCLC, page 39:
3
Figuratively To enter (a trained horse) into a race.
4
Figuratively Chiefly followed by with: to burden or encumber (someone) with some problem or responsibility.
Often passive voice
He has been saddled with the task of collecting evidence of the theft.
They went shopping and left me saddled with two children to look after.
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He is saddled with house payments now, so he can't afford to spend more money.
He wished he had not been saddled with Whippham's rather futile son as his chaplain.1917, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, The Soul of a Bishop:
They saddled themselves with the handling of light flows on a multiplicity of branch lines, and they sacrificed the speed, reliability and low cost of through train operation, even over the main arteries of the system.1962 December, “Dr. Beeching Previews the Plan for British Railways”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 377:
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Figuratively Chiefly followed by on or upon: to place (a burden or responsibility) or thrust (a problem) on someone.
I did not dislose the name of the man I proposed, because I found her only too eager to marry anyone upon whom she could saddle her debts, and so make him either pay them or change places with her.1881, Walter Besant, James Rice, “How Lord Chudleigh Received His Freedom”, in The Chaplain of the Fleet […], volume III, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, part II (The Queen of the Wells), page 248:
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Archaic, Figuratively To control or restrain (someone or something), as if using a saddle; to bridle, to harness, to rein in.
But he never would believe that Providence had sent a few men into the world ready booted and spurred to ride, and millions ready saddled and bridled to be ridden.1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter V, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 567:
Picked up Sotheby, who endeavoured to saddle me for a review of his polyglot Virgil. I fear I shall scarce convince him that I know nothing of the Latin lingo.1826 October 25 (date written), Walter Scott, “[Entry dated 25 October 1826]”, in David Douglas, editor, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott […], volume I, Edinburgh: David Douglas, published 1890, →OCLC, page 283:
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Arts, Business, Carpentry, Construction, Crafts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Manufacturing, Woodworking To cut a saddle-shaped notch in (a log or other piece of wood) so it can fit together with other such logs or pieces; also, to fit (logs or other pieces of wood) together with this method.
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Obsolete To put something on to (another thing) like a saddle on an animal.
Next day, while we were saddling, Ali and Abd el Kader appeared.1922 (date written; published 1926), T[homas] E[dward] Lawrence, “Book VI: The Raid upon the Bridges. Chapter LXXI.”, in Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, published 1937, →OCLC, page 394:
Till the dead midnight we saddled not,— / I have journeyed far and fast— / And hither I come to carry thee back / Ere the darkness shall be past.c. 1844 June (date written), Gottfried August Bürger, translated by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Lenore […], London: Ellis and Elvey, […], published 1900, →OCLC, page 26:
[A]y, every churl who owns a manor, if he dares—must needs arm and saddle, and levy war on his own behalf, and harry and slay the King's lieges, if he have not garlic to his roast goose every time he chooses […]1866, C[harles] Kingsley, “How Hereward Was Outlawed, and Went North to Seek His Fortunes”, in Hereward the Wake, “Last of the English.” […], volume I, London; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 61: