Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

fetter en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈfɛt.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈfet.ə/ (Australia)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈfɛt.ɚ/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English feter, from Old English feter, Proto-West Germanic *fetur, from Proto-Germanic *feturaz (“fetter”), from Proto-Indo-European *ped- (“to step, walk; to fall, stumble”). Related to foot. Cognates Cognate with Dutch veter (“cable, chain, hawser; bond, fetter”), Faroese fjøtur (“fetter”), Icelandic fjötur (“fetter”), Swedish fjätter (“fetter, shackle”); also Irish feadh (“extent, length”), feá (“fathom”), Scottish Gaelic feadh (“extent, length; fathom”), Latgalian pāda (“foot”), Latvian pēda (“foot”), Lithuanian pėda (“foot”), Belarusian па́даць (pádacʹ, “to fall”), Bulgarian па́дам (pádam, “to grop, fall”), Czech padat (“to fall”), Polish padać (“to fall”), Russian па́дать (pádatʹ, “to fall”), Serbo-Croatian padati, падати (“to fall”), Slovene padati (“to fall”), Ukrainian па́дати (pádaty, “to fall”), Latin peior, pejor (“worse”), Ancient Greek πέδη (pédē, “fetter, shackle; anklet, bangle”), Armenian ետ (et, “back, backward”), հետ (het, “back; with”), Ossetian фестӕг (festæg), фистӕг (fistæg, “pedestrian”), Old Persian 𐎱𐎿𐎫𐎡 (p-s-t-i, “foot soldier, infantryman”), Sanskrit पद्यते (padyate, “to fall, topple; to perish”), Hittite 𒁉𒂊𒁕𒀭 (“place; floor, ground”).

Meanings

  1. (plural, usually) A chain or similar object used to bind a person or animal, often by its legs.
  2. (figuratively) Anything that restricts or restrains.
    • Passion's too fierce to be in fetters bound. 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe, Prologue:
    • He looks upon study as an odious fetter; his time is spent in the open air, climbing the hills or rowing on the lake. 1818, Mary Shelley, chapter 6, in Frankenstein, archived from the original on 08 May 2013:
    • That was the turning-point of my life. I broke my fetters, and I fought a hard fight for a new career … 1910, Erwin Rosen, “Prolog”, in In the Foreign Legion, HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2012:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
fetters Number=Plur lexicographic

Hyponyms

manacle · handcuffs · manacles · handcuff · shackle · leg irons · shackles

Synonyms

leg irons

Translations (131)

grc δεσμός (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · pl pęto (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · es apea (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · sv fotboja (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · hy ոտնակապ (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · my ထူး (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · es grillos (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · pt grilhões (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ru пу́ты (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · yue 限制 (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · pl kajdany (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · gl pexa (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · pdt Spaunsel (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · oc entrava (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · oc trava (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · pt peia (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · it ferri (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ar غُلّ (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · cmn 脚镣 (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fa غل و زنجیر (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · es obstáculo (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · es pihuela (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · alt кижен (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · es grillos (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · txb śanmau (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ary شكال (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ota طومروق (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · pt ferros (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · hu lánc (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · cs pouto (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fr fers (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fa قید (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · pt grilhões (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · ota زنجیر (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · bg окови (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · es pihuela (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · oc enfèrrias (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · gl traba (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · es manea (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · oc enfèrris (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ary ڭيد (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · mk о́ков (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fr entrave (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · es grillete (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · cmn 鐐 /镣 (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · az buxov (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · ota پرانقه (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ota كوستك (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · pl pęta (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · cy llyffethair (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ga laincis (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · yue 束縛 /束缚 (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · de Fessel (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · gl obstáculo (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · hu lábbilincs (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · sa राहुल (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · wa aroke (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · gl traba (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fa بند (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ky кишен (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fa قید و بند (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · dsb pyto (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · pl okowy (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · de Fußschelle (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · gl ferros (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · wa atna (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · gl pega (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · cs pouta (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · pt peia (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · wa epîtoe (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · hi बेड़ी (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · grc πέδη (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fi kahle (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · gl péga (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ru око́вы (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · grc δεσμός (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · pdt Iesa (nds) (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · da lænke (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · nl boei (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · it ceppi (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fi kahle (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ru кандалы́ (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fi kahleet (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · bg букаи (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · la vinculum (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · tr köstek (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ota بوقاغی (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · es traba (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · fr obstacle (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · ar أَغْلال (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · cs okovy (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · nb lenke (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · gl pexa (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · got 𐌽𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌹 (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · uk пу́та (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fr entrave (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · gl solta (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · oc entrava (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · ur بیڑی (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · bg окови (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · la compēs (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · uk око́ви (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · fa اشکیل (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · la vinculum (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · gd dì-leum (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ca obstacle (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · tr köstek (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · oc trava (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · it ostacoli (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · hu bilincs (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · th ตรวน (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · crh kişen (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · mk о́ков (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · ca grilló (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · pt grilhetas (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · oc enfèrris (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · gd cuibhreach (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · hu béklyó (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · mk пра́нга (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ru пу́ты (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · da fodlænke (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · nl kluister (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · xcl պարաւանդ (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · oc obstacle (anything that restricts or restrains in any way) · es pihuelas (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · ru око́вы (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · tr pranga (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · de Fußfessel (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · nb fotlenke (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · cs okovy (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs) · az buxov (object used to bind a person or animal by its legs)

fetter en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈfɛt.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈfet.ə/ (Australia)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈfɛt.ɚ/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English feter, from Old English feter, Proto-West Germanic *fetur, from Proto-Germanic *feturaz (“fetter”), from Proto-Indo-European *ped- (“to step, walk; to fall, stumble”). Related to foot. Cognates Cognate with Dutch veter (“cable, chain, hawser; bond, fetter”), Faroese fjøtur (“fetter”), Icelandic fjötur (“fetter”), Swedish fjätter (“fetter, shackle”); also Irish feadh (“extent, length”), feá (“fathom”), Scottish Gaelic feadh (“extent, length; fathom”), Latgalian pāda (“foot”), Latvian pēda (“foot”), Lithuanian pėda (“foot”), Belarusian па́даць (pádacʹ, “to fall”), Bulgarian па́дам (pádam, “to grop, fall”), Czech padat (“to fall”), Polish padać (“to fall”), Russian па́дать (pádatʹ, “to fall”), Serbo-Croatian padati, падати (“to fall”), Slovene padati (“to fall”), Ukrainian па́дати (pádaty, “to fall”), Latin peior, pejor (“worse”), Ancient Greek πέδη (pédē, “fetter, shackle; anklet, bangle”), Armenian ետ (et, “back, backward”), հետ (het, “back; with”), Ossetian фестӕг (festæg), фистӕг (fistæg, “pedestrian”), Old Persian 𐎱𐎿𐎫𐎡 (p-s-t-i, “foot soldier, infantryman”), Sanskrit पद्यते (padyate, “to fall, topple; to perish”), Hittite 𒁉𒂊𒁕𒀭 (“place; floor, ground”).

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To shackle or bind up with fetters.
    • The Begums' ministers, on the contrary, to extort from them the disclosure of the place which concealed the treasures, were, […] after being fettered and imprisoned, led out on to a scaffold, and this array of terrours proving unavailing, the meek tempered Middleton, as a dernier resort, menaced them with a confinement in the fortress of Chunargar. Thus, my lords, was a British garrison made the climax of cruelties! 1788 June, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, “Mr. Sheridan’s Speech, on Summing Up the Evidence on the Second, or Begum Charge against Warren Hastings, Esq., Delivered before the High Court of Parliament, June 1788”, in Select Speeches, Forensick and Parliamentary, with Prefatory Remarks by N[athaniel] Chapman, M.D., volume I, [Philadelphia, Pa.]: Published by Hopkins and Earle, no. 170, Market Street, published 1808, →OCLC, page 474:
  2. (transitive) To restrain or impede; to hamper.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
fetters Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
fettered Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
fettered Tense=Past lexicographic
fettering Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

fetterless · befetter · unfetter · fetterer · enfetter · fetterlock

Hyponyms

manacle · handcuff · shackle

Translations (48)

grc πεδάω (to restrain or impede) · wa epîter (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · grc δέω (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · ru свя́зывать (to restrain or impede) · pt agrilhoar (to restrain or impede) · wa efirdjî (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · ru заковывать (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · wa epasturer (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · fr entraver (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · grc δέω (to restrain or impede) · ru сковывать (to restrain or impede) · bg спъвам (to restrain or impede) · fa بستن (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · mk оковува (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · ca impedir (to restrain or impede) · gl pexar (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · it incatenare (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · io katenizar (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · sv fjättra (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · es aherrojar (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · it ostacolare (to restrain or impede) · es engrillar (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · ota بوقاغیلمق (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · eo alkateni (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · cmn 束縛 /束缚 (to restrain or impede) · ca engrillonar (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · bg оковавам (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · tr bukağılamak (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · fi rajoittaa (to restrain or impede) · bg ограничавам (to restrain or impede) · grc πεδάω (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · pt agrilhoar (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · tr pranga vurmak (to restrain or impede) · fi kahlita (to restrain or impede) · ota كوستكلمك (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · sga con·rig (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · la teneo (to restrain or impede) · tr pranga vurmak (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · tr kösteklemek (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · ary ڭيد (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · ga cuibhrigh (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · ary شكل (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · fi kahlita (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · tr kösteklemek (to restrain or impede) · cmn 束縛 /束缚 (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · gd cuibhrich (to shackle or bind up with fetters) · fr entraver (to restrain or impede) · es impedir (to restrain or impede)