saddle

SaySAD-uhl/ˈsæd(ə)l/UK/ˈsædl̩/

33 meanings of saddle

1
nouncountable
A seat, often made of leather, that is strapped onto a horse or other animal so a person can ride it.
He swung his leg over the saddle and took the reins.
The old leather saddles hung on hooks in the barn.
Note
2
bike seatnouncountable
The seat on a bike, a motorcycle, or something like them.
After a long ride, the hard saddle made her sore.
The kids' bikes all had bright red saddles.
Similarseat
3
ready a horseverbtransitive
To fit a horse or other animal with a saddle.
Can you saddle the pony for me?
She saddled her horse before the sun came up.
Note
4
burden someoneverbfigurativelytransitive
To give someone a heavy problem or duty that they must deal with.
Please don't saddle me with all the cleaning again.
She was saddled with looking after her little brothers all summer.
Similarburden, encumber, load, lumber
Oppositerelieve
Note
5
nouncountable
Something that looks like, or is shaped like, a seat for riding a horse.
The wind had worn the big rock into a smooth saddle that kids loved to climb on.
After years of snow, the middle of the barn roof sank into a deep saddle.
Note
6
dip between hillsnouncountable
A low part of the land between two hills, curved like a saddle.
We stopped for lunch on the grassy saddle before the last climb.
The path goes up to a saddle and then down the other side.
Similarcol, pass
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7
burden someoneverbfigurativelytransitive
To push a problem or a duty onto someone else.
She tried to saddle all the hard work on the new kid.
He saddled the blame on his little brother.
Similarpin, foist, lay, shift
Note
8
verbCanadaUSintransitive
To climb onto a horse and sit in its saddle.
Grandpa saddled up slowly, one foot in the stirrup and then the other leg over.
The kids saddle up by standing on a box and swinging one leg over the pony.
Similarmount
Oppositedismount
Note
9
cut of meatnouncountable
A large cut of meat from an animal's back, taking in both sides and part of the backbone.
We had roast saddle of lamb for Sunday dinner.
The butcher cut two saddles of venison for the party.
Note
10
horse ridingnoununcountable
Riding horses, for fun or for work.
Grandpa spent his whole life in the saddle, working cattle.
This gentle mare is good for the saddle but too small to pull a cart.
Note

11
fit oververbtransitive
To put one thing across the top of another, like a saddle on a horse.
He saddled the rolled blanket across the back of the bike.
Saddle the board over the fence so it hangs down on both sides.
Similarplace, set
Note
12
guitarnouncountable
The part of a guitar that holds up the strings and, on acoustic guitars, sends their sound into the body.
The music shop replaced the cracked saddle on my old guitar.
If the strings sit too high, you can sand the saddle down a little.
Note
13
for loadsnouncountable
A thing like a riding seat, put on an animal to hold bags and other loads.
The donkey's saddle was piled high with bags of rice.
We tied the tents and pots onto the pack mule's saddle.
Similarpacksaddle
14
brownnoununcountable
A medium brown color, like the leather used for saddles.
These boots come in black or saddle.
I want the belt in saddle, not dark brown.
15
band on shoenounUScountable
A strip of leather sewn across the top middle of a shoe, often in a different color.
Her white shoes had a black saddle across the top.
The saddles on these shoes are brown, and the rest is white.
Note
16
type of shoenounUScountable
A laced shoe with a band of leather across the middle, often in another color.
She wore black-and-white saddles to the school dance.
He scuffed the white toe of his left saddle at the dance.
Note
17
body markingnouncountable
A mark on an animal's body shaped like a saddle, like the one on some seals.
The young seal does not get its dark saddle until it is grown.
Our pet snake has brown saddles all along its back.
Note
18
mathnouncountable
In math, a point on a curved surface that rises one way and falls another, like the middle of a saddle.
On the graph, the saddle is the point where the surface rises one way and dips the other.
Some flat spots on a surface are not tops or bottoms but saddles.
Note
19
bird's backnouncountable
The lower back of a farm bird such as a rooster, where special feathers grow.
The rooster's saddle shone gold in the sun.
At the fair, the judge ran her hand along each bird's saddle.
Note
20
enter in raceverbfigurativelytransitive
To put a horse you have trained into a race.
She will saddle three horses in the big race on Saturday.
The old trainer saddled the winner of the cup again this year.
Similarenter, run
21
harness partnouncountable
The part of a horse's harness that holds up the poles of a cart or carriage.
The cart's poles rest in loops on the pony's saddle.
He checked the saddle before he hitched the horse to the wagon.
22
curved supportnouncountable
A part with a curved hollow that fits onto something round to hold or support it.
The tank sits on two steel saddles so it cannot roll.
The plumber bolted a saddle onto the pipe to add a new tap.
Note
23
notch logsverbtransitive
To cut a curved notch in a log so it sits tight on another log, or to join logs that way.
We saddle each log so it sits snug on the one below.
Grandpa saddled the logs for the cabin by hand.
Similarnotch
Note
24
doorway stripnouncountable
The raised strip across the floor of a doorway, under the door.
Watch your step; the saddle in this doorway sticks up a bit.
We put a new oak saddle under the front door.
Similarthreshold, sill
Note
25
controlverbarchaicfigurativelytransitive
To control someone or something and hold them back, as if they were a horse.
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, The History of England from the Accession of James IIHere, saddled means held under control, like a horse with a saddle.
Note
26
noun
A small block, often of dark wood, at the bottom of a violin or cello, where the tailpiece cord rests.
27
noun
A soft cushion that people sit on in a cart or other vehicle.
28
noun
A TV time spot between two popular shows, used for a show the channel wants people to watch.
29
noun
The part of a set of false teeth that the teeth are fixed into.
30
noun
A fold in rock with layers sloping down on both sides, or a low spot along its top.
31
nounAustralia
In geology, an arched vein of ore, often with gold, along the top of a rock fold.
32
noun
A shaped wooden block on a ship that holds the end of a pole.
33
noun
The thick band near the front of an earthworm.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–2, 5–6, 9–10, 12–19, 21–22, 24

From the Old English word sadol; it may go back to an ancient root meaning “to sit.”

Meanings 3–4, 7–8, 11, 20, 23, 25

From an Old English verb made from the noun saddle.