leash
/liːʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /liːʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlēsh/ (ame, mw)
leash — noun
- leashsingular
- leashesplural
1. a long strip of leather, fabric, chain, or rope that you attach to a dog's colla
a long strip of leather, fabric, chain, or rope that you attach to a dog's collar so you can hold the dog and guide it while you walk.
Samir always keeps his golden retriever on a short red leash near the park gate.
collocation: keep [a dog] on a leash
Please put your dog on a leash before walking onto the beach.
imperative: put [a dog] on a leash
The puppy chewed through its leash and ran across the yard toward the children.
Amani held the leash tightly as the big black dog pulled toward the squirrel.
The trainer recommends a leather leash for puppies that still bite plastic ones.
文法句型
on a leash
off the leash
用法筆記
Almost always used with the prepositions 'on' or 'off' — 'a dog on a leash' (controlled) versus 'a dog off the leash' (running free).
常見錯誤
2. a figurative limit placed on a person's freedom or behaviour — when someone is w
a figurative limit placed on a person's freedom or behaviour — when someone is watched closely or not allowed much independence.
After the budget mistake, the new manager kept her assistant on a very short leash for months.
idiomatic: keep [someone] on a short leash
Theo finally felt off the leash when his strict parents went away for the weekend.
off the leash = free from control
The coach kept the rookie striker on a tight leash during the first half of the match.
Gabriela complained that her older brother put her on a leash every time their parents went out.
- free rein
the opposite — full freedom rather than restriction.
文法句型
on a short leash
keep [someone] on a leash
用法筆記
Almost always appears with 'short' or 'tight' to indicate strict control; 'off the leash' means freedom or release from that control. Distinct from sense 1 because no actual rope is involved — the object of control is a person, not an animal.