handcuffs
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.