handcuff

[ hand-kuhf ]
See synonyms for: handcuffhandcuffs on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a ring-shaped metal device that can be locked around a person's wrist, usually one of a pair connected by a short chain or linked bar; shackle: The police put handcuffs on the suspect.

verb (used with object)
  1. to put handcuffs on.

  2. to restrain or thwart (someone) by or as if by handcuffing: The amendments handcuffed the committee and prevented further action.

Origin of handcuff

1
First recorded in 1635–45; hand + cuff1

Other words from handcuff

  • un·hand·cuff, verb (used with object)

Words Nearby handcuff

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use handcuff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for handcuff

handcuff

/ (ˈhændˌkʌf) /


verb
  1. (tr) to put handcuffs on (a person); manacle

noun
  1. (plural) a pair of locking metal rings joined by a short bar or chain for securing prisoners, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012