handcuffs
- 01 B1 Intermediate
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.
Simple“The police officer put handcuffs on the suspect before leading him to the car.”
In context“The suspect sat silently in the back of the patrol car, his wrists secured by heavy steel handcuffs that rattled with every turn.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The new company rules were like golden handcuffs that kept him from leaving.”
In context“The department head complained that the budget cuts were administrative handcuffs, preventing any meaningful innovation for the upcoming fiscal year.”
Synonyms - 03 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.
Simple“The guards had to handcuff the prisoner during the long flight.”
In context“The new regulations effectively handcuff the local government, making it nearly impossible for them to allocate funds to emergency services.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb that requires a direct object.
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.