Etymograph

English

leash

Leash comes from Middle English leesshe, and goes back to Old French lesse.

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400lesse1
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lees1
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leesshe1
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1597leash1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English leash
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1597, William Shakespeare, The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]: “Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400lesseWiktionary, English leash
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leesWiktionary, English leash
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500leessheWiktionary, English leash
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1597leashWiktionary, English leash. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1597, William Shakespeare, The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]: “Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of…”

The story

From Middle English leesshe, leysche, lesshe, a variant of more original lease, from Middle English lees, leese, leece, lese, from Old French lesse (modern French laisse), either from Latin laxa, feminine form of laxus (‘loose’) or, more probably, from a deverbal of Old French lesser, laissier, from Latin laxāre (‘loose’); compare lax.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Latin laxus ‘loose’

release, relax, lax, relish, laxity, 5 more

Today it means

noun A strap, cord or rope with which to restrain an animal, often a dog.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “leash”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old French lesse / leash

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