A rope, chain, or cord used to tie an animal to something so it can't wander too far away.
From Old Norse 'tjóðr' meaning rope or cord, related to 'tie.' The word entered English around the 1300s and has maintained its meaning of restraining rope or rope-like connection.
The phrase 'at the end of your tether' means you've run out of patience or energy—you're as far as your rope will let you go, so it's become a metaphor for emotional limits, not just physical ones.
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