Word
handcuffs
Phoneticshand·cuffs, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhændˌkəfs/
UK/hˈændkʌfs/
Definitions
01metal wrist restraints
B1 · Intermediate Plural noun Law
n. two metal rings joined by a chain that are locked around a person's wrists to stop them from moving their hands.
n. a pair of metal rings, typically connected by a short chain or hinge, designed to be locked around the wrists of a person under arrest.
“The police officer put handcuffs on the suspect before leading him to the car.”
“The suspect sat silently in the back of the patrol car, his wrists secured by heavy steel handcuffs that rattled with every turn.”
02figurative constraints
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Informal
n. rules or situations that stop you from acting freely or doing what you want.
n. abstract or systemic constraints, such as regulations or financial limitations, that impede free action.
“The new company rules were like golden handcuffs that kept him from leaving.”
“The department head complained that the budget cuts were administrative handcuffs, preventing any meaningful innovation for the upcoming fiscal year.”
Synonyms
03to restrain someone
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to put handcuffs on someone or to stop them from moving freely.
v. to secure a person's wrists with handcuffs; by extension, to render someone powerless or to restrict their ability to act.
“The guards had to handcuff the prisoner during the long flight.”
“The new regulations effectively handcuff the local government, making it nearly impossible for them to allocate funds to emergency services.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb that requires a direct object.
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. golden handcuffs
02. velvet handcuffs
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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