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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

handcuff en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈhændˌkʌf/

Etymology

From hand + cuff (“end of shirtsleeve”). Possibly an adaptation of Middle English handcops (“shackles for the hand, handcuffs”), from Old English handcops, from hand + cops, cosp (“fetter, chains”), but due to a lack of continuity (centuries between Old English and the modern term), generally analyzed as a re-invention. Nominal form first appears c. 1591 in the publications of John Florio. Verbal form first appears c. 1649.

Meanings

  1. (rare, singular) One ring of a locking fetter for the hand or one pair.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
handcuffs Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

handcuff knot · handcuff artist · unhandcuff

Hypernyms

shackle · fetter

Synonyms

manacle · wristlet

Translations (101)

km ខ្នោះដៃ (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ca manilla (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · alt кижен (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ca manilles (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · eo mankateno (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · hu bilincs (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · lt antrankiai (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ps اتکړۍ (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · de Handschelle (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tl pangaw (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · kk қолкісен (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sh лѝсице (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · az qandal (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ar صَفَد (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · id gari (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · mk лисици (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · vi còng (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sl lisice (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · io manoto (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · uz qoʻlkishan (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · he אזיק (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · my လက်ထိတ် (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ang handcosp (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ps ولچک (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · cs pouta (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · kk бұғау (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ary مينوط (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ms gari (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · mn гав (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ps هټکرۍ (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · uk нару́чники (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · it manetta (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sv handboja (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ja 手錠 (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ota بیلكچه (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · vi còng tay (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · fa-ira دَسْتبَنْد (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · id borgol (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · az əl qandalı (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · fr menotte (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · haw hao hoʻopaʻa lima (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · es marroca (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ka ხელბორკილი (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · kmr kelemçe (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · be нару́чнік (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sk náramky (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ky колкишен (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · et käerauad (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ota كلبچه (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · nl handboei (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sk náramok (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · nn handjern (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tg дастбанд (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ru нару́чник (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · yue 手扣 (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · hi हथकड़ी (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · pt algema (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ro cătușă (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · pl kajdanki (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sk putá (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tg кишани даст (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · nn handjarn (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tr bilekçe (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ky кишен (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · be нару́чнікі (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ru нару́чники (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · nb handjern (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ko 수갑 (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · el χειροπέδα (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · bn হাতকড়া (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ar أَصْفَاد (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · luy epingu (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ur ہَتْھکَڑی (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tr kelepçe (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sh lìsice (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · el χειροπέδες (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tk gandal (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · bg белезни́ци (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · cs želízka (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · th กุญแจมือ (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · he אֲזִקִּים (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · da håndjern (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · cmn 手銬 /手铐 (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tg завлонаи даст (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · hy ձեռնաշղթա (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · fi käsirauta (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · es esposa (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · nb håndjern (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ml വിലങ്ങ് (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sw pingu (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ps هتوړۍ (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · uk нару́чник (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · sq pranga (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · lv roku dzelži (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ta கைவிலங்கு (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · is handjárn (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · lo ກະແຈມື (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · gl esposas (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · tl posas (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ml കൈവിലങ്ങ് (ring of a locking fetter for the hand) · ug كويزا (ring of a locking fetter for the hand)

wikipedia: John Florio · wikidata: Q15808

handcuff en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈhændˌkʌf/

Etymology

From hand + cuff (“end of shirtsleeve”). Possibly an adaptation of Middle English handcops (“shackles for the hand, handcuffs”), from Old English handcops, from hand + cops, cosp (“fetter, chains”), but due to a lack of continuity (centuries between Old English and the modern term), generally analyzed as a re-invention. Nominal form first appears c. 1591 in the publications of John Florio. Verbal form first appears c. 1649.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To apply handcuffs to someone.
    • Conservative influencer Nick Sortor is handcuffed Thursday night by a police officer outside an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, a bystander video shows; the video does not show events leading up to the arrest. 2025 October 3, Andy Rose, “Arrest of conservative influencer Nick Sortor outside Portland ICE building now under federal investigation”, in CNN:
    • The sheriff had brought along all the handcuffs necessary, and in a few seconds he had handcuffed Koswell. He threw a pair of the steel bracelets to Dick and another pair to Tom, and the Rovers had the satisfaction of handcuffing Josiah Crabtree and Tad Sobber. Then the sheriff made prisoners of the rest of the crowd[…] 1912, Arthur M. Winfield, The Rover Boys in the Air:
    • The sheriff’s office released a compilation of bodycam footage Friday from deputies at the scene that shows them handcuffing Earl and pinning him down for more than 20 minutes as he struggles and repeatedly shouts for help. 2024 September 30, Chelsea Bailey, “‘Take his pulse, he’s blue’: Bodycam footage shows fatal encounter between epileptic Indiana man and first responders”, in CNN:
  2. (figuratively, transitive) to restrain or restrict.
    • After all, since our marriage has proved a childless one, the only reason for our submitting to be handcuffed to one another, now that our hearts are no longer in the arrangement, is gone. 1880, George Bernard Shaw, chapter XVII, in The Irrational Knot:
    • Dang, I’m handcuffed by these regulations. I’d like to help but it’d be illegal.
    • If he were a king, as his swagger and opera-singing occasionally suggested, he would stretch the constitution any way he wanted. In fact, as he admitted with a grin, it handcuffed him. 2016 February 20, “Obituary: Antonin Scalia: Always right”, in The Economist, archived from the original on 01 Dec 2020:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
handcuffs Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
handcuffed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
handcuffed Tense=Past lexicographic
handcuffing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Synonyms

manacle (apply handcuffs to)

Translations (34)

mi tūpiki (to apply handcuffs) · he אזק (to apply handcuffs) · ro încătușa (to apply handcuffs) · sv sätta handbojor på (någon) (to apply handcuffs) · fr menotter (to apply handcuffs) · fi panna käsirautoihin (to apply handcuffs) · it bloccare (figuratively: to restrain) · es maniatar (to apply handcuffs) · tr kelepçelemek (to apply handcuffs) · eo mankateni (to apply handcuffs) · es esposar (to apply handcuffs) · pl zakuwać (to apply handcuffs) · it ammanettare (to apply handcuffs) · pl skuwać (to apply handcuffs) · ro fereca (to apply handcuffs) · nl in de boeien slaan (to apply handcuffs) · gl esposar (to apply handcuffs) · es enmarrocar (to apply handcuffs) · fi käsiraudoittaa (to apply handcuffs) · fi sitoa (figuratively: to restrain) · pt algemar (to apply handcuffs) · mk става лисици (to apply handcuffs) · is handjárna (to apply handcuffs) · pl skuć (to apply handcuffs) · br grizilhonañ (to apply handcuffs) · ajp كلبش (to apply handcuffs) · hu megbilincsel (to apply handcuffs) · bg слагам белезници (to apply handcuffs) · ro încătușa (figuratively: to restrain) · de fesseln (to apply handcuffs) · pl zakuć (to apply handcuffs) · fi laittaa käsiraudat (to apply handcuffs) · nl boeien (to apply handcuffs) · nl handboeien omdoen (to apply handcuffs)

wikipedia: John Florio