leading strings: Meaning and Definition of

lead'ing strings"

Pronunciation: (lē'ding), [key]
  1. strings for leading and supporting a child learning to walk.
  2. excessively restraining guidance: His parents tried to keep him in leading strings, but he finally married and moved away.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.