shackles
n. plural-onlyn. metal rings joined by a chain that are used to fasten a prisoner's wrists or ankles together. It is also used to describe anything that stops you from being free.
n. a pair of metal rings connected by a chain, used to fasten the hands or ankles of a prisoner. Often used metaphorically to describe constraints that restrict freedom or progress.
The prisoner felt the heavy iron shackles on his wrists.
The new laws were seen by many as shackles that would prevent the small business from growing.
Once the country threw off the shackles of colonial rule, it began a long and difficult journey toward establishing a stable and independent democratic government.
Usually appears in the plural form; when used as a pluralia tantum, it takes plural verb agreement.