English edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
A pair of handcuffs.

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)

  1. 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

Etymology 2 edit

Noun edit

handcuffs

  1. plural of handcuff

Etymology 3 edit

Verb edit

handcuffs

  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of handcuff

References edit

  1. 1.0 1.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2024), “handcuffs”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.