Noun The pilot strapped himself into his harness before takeoff. Verb The horses were harnessed to the wagon. Engineers are finding new ways to harness the sun's energy to heat homes. The company is harnessing technology to provide better service to its customers. They harnessed the power of the waterfall to create electricity. harness anger to fight injusticeSee More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Another secret is the harness sewn into the waist of the dress. Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Sep. 2022 When the duo in the parachute touched down, LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman emerged from the harness and pumped his fists in the air as the crowd roared. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2022 The harness may have been installed as original equipment or as an accessory through a dealer. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 23 Aug. 2022 Shannon Olivieri Hovis, director of NARAL Pro-Choice California, rallied the crowd while carrying her infant daughter Catalina in a harness on her chest. Andres Picon, Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 May 2022 Seavey, 35, arrived in Nome with seven dogs in harness an hour and eight minutes after Sass. Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Mar. 2022 At least five dogs must be in harness (pulling the sled) at the finish line.CNN, 18 Feb. 2022 The woman was placed in a full-body harness, hoisted up and loaded into the helicopter, then taken to a landing zone near state Route 54 and Mast Boulevard, where she was transferred to an ambulance, Battalion Chief David Pilkerton said. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2021 As seen in the footage, the cows were transported one at a time in a sturdy harness, floating through the sky and descending to safety. Naledi Ushe, PEOPLE.com, 2 Sep. 2021
Verb
The Justice Department in recent years has encouraged companies to harness data when building compliance systems, both to root out misconduct and to test the effectiveness of their policies and procedures. Dylan Tokar, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The viciously toxic heavy metal cadmium is also found deep in the heart of the PS4, likely used in doping silicon to enhance and harness its natural semiconducting properties. Daniel Starkey, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2022 Moreover, the errors caused by the phenomena – which can affect even classical computing – could be even more impactful on the hyper-sensitive engineering needed to harness qubits on a large scale usefully. Bernard Marr, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022 These tassies are made in a mini muffin tin and harness the flavors of baklava in a single bite. Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2022 Many hope to harness the powerful moral language and organizing potential the church offers.The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 Removing those from the battlefield would allow troops to harness their own drones in a counterattack and move more freely around the battlefield. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2022 Removing those from the battlefield would allow troops to harness their own drones in a counterattack and move more freely around the battlefield. Alex Horton, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2022 The bill also includes billions aimed at spurring projects big and small to harness more of the sun’s energy. Drew Kann, ajc, 13 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English harneys, herneys "equipment of a man-at-arms, body armor, fittings for a draft animal, apparel, baggage," borrowed from Anglo-French herneis, harneis (also continental Old French), probably borrowed from Old Norse *hernest "provisions for an armed force," from herr "host, army" + nest "provisions," going back to Germanic *nesta- (whence also Old English nest "food, provisions," Old High German -nest, in weganest "provisions for a journey"), derivative, with the noun and adjective suffix -to-, from the base of *nesan- "to save, be saved, return safely" — more at harry, nostalgia
Note: The Norse word was presumably assimilated to the French nominal and adjectival suffix -eis (going back to Latin -ēnsis; compare -ese entry 1), so that the compound was resegmented as harn-eis.
Verb
Middle English harneysen, harneyschen, hernessen "to equip with arms or armor, place accoutrements on a horse or ox, dress," borrowed from Anglo-French harneiser, herneiser, hernescher "to make ready, equip" (continental Old French harneschier, herneschier), derivative of harneis "equipment of a man-at-arms, baggage" — more at harness entry 1