handcuffs en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈhændˌkʌfs/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
1775, from hand + cuff (“end of shirtsleeve”). Possibly influenced by Old English handcops, from hand + cops (“fetter, chains”), but due to lack of continuity (centuries between Old English and modern term), generally analyzed as a re-invention.
Meanings
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(plural, plural-only) A fastening consisting of two metal rings, designed to go around a person's wrists, and connected by a chain or hinge.
It was the sergeant who had spoken to me, and he was now looking round at the company, with his handcuffs invitingly extended towards them in his right hand, and his left on my shoulder.
1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter V, in Great Expectations […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC, page 61:Security is tight inside and outside the building, guarded by a bewildering collection of soldiers, policemen and gendarmes. Relatives watch as prisoners in handcuffs and leg irons shuffle past.
2014 November 27, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, in The Guardian:
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(figuratively, plural, plural-only) Any abstract constraint, such as rules, regulations, or lack of resources.
They complained that their rules of engagement were handcuffs that guaranteed counterproductivity.
Coordinates
straitjacket · straitjacket · shackles · shackles
Deriveds
golden handcuffs · Chinese handcuffs · velvet handcuffs · digital handcuffs
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (107)
az qandal (metal rings for fastening wrists) · hi हथकड़ी (metal rings for fastening wrists) · mn гав (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ky колкишен (metal rings for fastening wrists) · mnc ᠰᠠᠩᠰᡝ (metal rings for fastening wrists) · lo ກະແຈມື (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ur ہَتَھکْڑی (metal rings for fastening wrists) · te సంకెళ్ళు (metal rings for fastening wrists) · eo mankateno (metal rings for fastening wrists) · pt algema (metal rings for fastening wrists) · lt antrankiai (metal rings for fastening wrists) · es chachas (metal rings for fastening wrists) · la manicae (metal rings for fastening wrists) · fr menottes (metal rings for fastening wrists) · fr entraves (metal rings for fastening wrists) · es esposas (metal rings for fastening wrists) · kmr kelepçe (metal rings for fastening wrists) · yi האַנטקייטן (metal rings for fastening wrists) · tg завлонаи даст (metal rings for fastening wrists) · es grillas (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ms gari (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sk želiezka (metal rings for fastening wrists) · da håndjern (metal rings for fastening wrists) · akz ilbistalsiha (metal rings for fastening wrists) · tk gandal (metal rings for fastening wrists) · uk кайда́ни (metal rings for fastening wrists) · es grilletes (metal rings for fastening wrists) · pl kajdanki (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sv handklovar (metal rings for fastening wrists) · kmr kelemçe (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sq pranga (metal rings for fastening wrists) · tg дастбанд (metal rings for fastening wrists) · tr kelepçe (metal rings for fastening wrists) · nl handboeien (metal rings for fastening wrists) · uz qoʻlkishan (metal rings for fastening wrists) · km ខ្នោះដៃ (metal rings for fastening wrists) · wuu 手銬 /手铐 (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ru нару́чники (metal rings for fastening wrists) · de Handfesseln (metal rings for fastening wrists) · nn handjarn (metal rings for fastening wrists) · fi käsiraudat (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ky кишен (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ps کړۍ (metal rings for fastening wrists) · nb håndjern (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ug قول كىشەن (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sv handbojor (metal rings for fastening wrists) · kk қолкісен (metal rings for fastening wrists) · uk нару́чники (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ar أَصْفَاد (metal rings for fastening wrists) · cs pouta (metal rings for fastening wrists) · kk бұғау (metal rings for fastening wrists) · vi còng số 8 (metal rings for fastening wrists) · id borgol (metal rings for fastening wrists) · fr bracelets (metal rings for fastening wrists) · be нару́чнікі (metal rings for fastening wrists) · is handjárn (metal rings for fastening wrists) · mt manetti (metal rings for fastening wrists) · cmn 手銬 /手铐 (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ckb کەلەپچە (metal rings for fastening wrists) · de Handschellen (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ca manilles (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ro cătușe (metal rings for fastening wrists) · kk кісен (metal rings for fastening wrists) · nv látsíín nináʼniłí (metal rings for fastening wrists) · es marrocas (metal rings for fastening wrists) · cs želízka (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ta கைவிலங்கு (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ur ہَتْھکَڑی (metal rings for fastening wrists) · tl posas (metal rings for fastening wrists) · el χειροπέδες (metal rings for fastening wrists) · pdt Spaunsel (metal rings for fastening wrists) · lo ສວມກະແຈມື (metal rings for fastening wrists) · mk лисици (metal rings for fastening wrists) · hy ձեռնաշղթա (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ar أَغْلَال (metal rings for fastening wrists) · hu bilincs (metal rings for fastening wrists) · eu esku lota (metal rings for fastening wrists) · bg белезни́ци (metal rings for fastening wrists) · tr bilekçe (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ka ხელბორკილი (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ga glais lámh (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sh лѝсице (metal rings for fastening wrists) · he אֲזִקִּים (metal rings for fastening wrists) · vi còng tay (metal rings for fastening wrists) · io manoto (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sl lisice (metal rings for fastening wrists) · th กุญแจมือ (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ky кол кишен (metal rings for fastening wrists) · et käerauad (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ja 手錠 (metal rings for fastening wrists) · mup हातकड़ी (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ko 수갑 (metal rings for fastening wrists) · yue 手扣 (metal rings for fastening wrists) · lv roku dzelži (metal rings for fastening wrists) · it manette (metal rings for fastening wrists) · vi còng số tám (metal rings for fastening wrists) · my လက်ထိတ် (metal rings for fastening wrists) · za aensujfwngz (metal rings for fastening wrists) · bn হাতকড়া (metal rings for fastening wrists) · tg кишани даст (metal rings for fastening wrists) · be кайда́нкі (metal rings for fastening wrists) · acw كَلَبْشة (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sk putá (metal rings for fastening wrists) · vi còng (metal rings for fastening wrists) · ia manica (metal rings for fastening wrists) · sh lìsice (metal rings for fastening wrists) · fa-ira دَسْتبَنْد (metal rings for fastening wrists)