Handcuffs Meaning
/hˈæˌndkʌfs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA fastening consisting of two metal rings, designed to go around a person's wrists, and connected by a chain or hinge.
nounAny abstract constraint, such as rules, regulations, or lack of resources.
Sentence Examples
I put handcuffs on him.
The policeman wrestled the thief to the ground and put handcuffs on him.
The police officer put handcuffs on the suspect.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The police officer put ____ on the criminal's wrists.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The police officer placed the suspect in ____ before leading him away to the patrol car.
Word Origin & History
1775, from hand + cuff (“end of shirtsleeve”). 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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It was the sergeant who had spoken to me, and he was now looking round at the company, with his handcuffs invitingly extended towards them in his right hand, and his left on my shoulder."
— 1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter V, in Great Expectations […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC, page 61:
"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."
— 2014 November 27, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, in The Guardian:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The police officer put ____ on the criminal's wrists.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The police officer placed the suspect in ____ before leading him away to the patrol car.