Illustration of saddle
- 1 western
- 2 English
often attributive
1
a(1)
: a girthed usually padded and leather-covered seat for the rider of an animal (such as a horse)
(2)
: a part of a driving harness comparable to a saddle that is used to keep the breeching in place
b
: a seat to be straddled by the rider of a vehicle (such as a bicycle)
2
: a device mounted as a support and often shaped to fit the object held
3
a
: a ridge connecting two higher elevations
b
: a pass in a mountain range
4
a
: both sides of the unsplit back of a carcass including both loins
b
: a colored marking on the back of an animal
c
: the rear part of a male fowl's back extending to the tail see duck illustration
5
: the central part of the spine of the binding of a book
6
: a piece of leather across the instep of a shoe
saddled; saddling
ˈsa-dᵊl-iŋ 
ˈsad-liŋ
1
: to put a saddle on
2
a
: to place under a burden or encumbrance
b
: to place (an onerous responsibility) on a person or group
: to mount a saddled horse
Examples of saddle in a Sentence
Noun
the next day's hike was a stiff climb out of the saddle where they had camped for the night
Verb
He saddled his horse and mounted it.
to the social worker it seemed as though her supervisor had once again saddled her with a truly hopeless case
Recent Examples on the Web
Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025
These states form a much more complicated landscape, one in which the shapes of tipping points no longer resemble the familiar saddles and cones.
—Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Increasingly, the initiative has been seen as luring in low income countries with promises of lofty investment, but saddling them with unsustainable debts.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saddle
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Noun
Amszke Vegan Leather Saddle Bag Structured and understated, this vegan leather saddle bag channels the equestrian roots of classic prep style.
—Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025
These states form a much more complicated landscape, one in which the shapes of tipping points no longer resemble the familiar saddles and cones.
—Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
The solution must be just as collective—corporate, academic, and federal actors aligning to ensure advanced education strengthens both opportunity and the economy without saddling the next generation with unsustainable debt.
—Leadership Brainery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Increasingly, the initiative has been seen as luring in low income countries with promises of lofty investment, but saddling them with unsustainable debts.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saddle
Cite this Entry
“Saddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saddle. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
saddle
1 of 2 noun
sad·dle
ˈsad-ᵊl
1
a
: a padded and leather-covered seat for a horseback rider
b
: a padded part of a harness
c
: a bicycle or motorcycle seat
2
: something like a saddle in shape, position, or use
especially
: a support for an object
Medical Definition
saddle
noun
sad·dle
ˈsad-ᵊl
: the part of a partial denture that carries an artificial tooth and has connectors for adjacent teeth attached to its ends
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