handcuffs
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English[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
1775, from hand + cuff (“end of shirtsleeve”).[1]
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.[1]
Noun[edit]
handcuffs pl (plural only)
- A fastening consisting of two metal rings, designed to go around a person's wrists, and connected by a chain or hinge.
- 2014 November 27, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, in The Guardian:
- 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.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
metal rings for fastening wrists
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Etymology 2[edit]
Noun[edit]
handcuffs
Etymology 3[edit]
Verb[edit]
handcuffs
- third-person singular simple present indicative of handcuff
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “handcuffs”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.