jess
1
9.9
A thin leather strap tied to a bird of prey's leg to keep it from flying away
- noun
- /dʒɛs/
- Specialized
:
correa
- He carefully tied the jess to the bird of prey before the hunt.
Examples
-
After checking the jess, she was ready to release her hawk.
-
"This will be the last," I promised, taking out the second jess.
Fiction book (1993) -
The knife slipped; it cut between the scores, and the jess was ruined.
Fiction book (1993) -
The falconer adjusted the jess to ensure it securely held the bird's leg.
Synonyms
tether
vsjess
37
5.4
A rope or chain used to tie an animal so it cannot move far
is a small leather leg strap used to control a bird
35
6.9
A small ring put on a bird's leg to identify it
is used to hold and control a bird rather than identify it
thong
vsjess
6
7.4
A narrow leather strip used for tying or fastening things
is a strap attached to a bird's leg to keep it under control
Surface Forms
Etymology
Jess comes from an old word meaning a small 'strap' used by falconers, so you can think of it as a tiny 'leash' for a hawk's leg. That's why a jess today is the thin leather strap fastened around a bird's leg to control or tether it.