Definition of handcuff - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
restraintmetal rings joined by a chain for wrists
- The police officer secured the suspect with handcuffs.
2.
figurative controlRare control or restraint in a metaphorical senseRare
- He felt the handcuffs of corporate policy limiting his creativity..
Verb
1.
restrain physicallyfasten someone's wrists together with handcuffs
- The police officer decided to handcuff the suspect..
2.
restrictrestrain or limit someone's actions or freedom
- The new rules handcuff the team's creativity.
Images of handcuff

metal rings joined by a chain for wrists
Origin of handcuff
Middle English, hand (hand) + cuff (covering)
Terms with handcuff included in their meaning
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Examples of handcuff in a sentence
The museum displayed antique handcuffs from the 1800s. The handcuffs of tradition can be hard to break. She struggled against the handcuffs of societal expectations. The security guard had to handcuff the intruder. They decided to handcuff the prisoner for transport. The policy changes handcuff innovation.
Budget cuts handcuff the department's progress.
View all translations of handcuff
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:menottes, menotter, ...
- German:Handschellen, fesseln, ...
- Italian:manette, ammanettare, ...
- Spanish:esposas, esposar, ...
- Portuguese:algema, algemar, ...
- Chinese:手铐, 戴上手铐, ...
- Japanese:手錠, 手錠をかける, ...
- Arabic:قَيْد, قَيَّدَ بِالأَصْفاد, ...
- Hebrew:אֲזִיק, לֶאֱזוֹק, ...
- Russian:наручники, надеть наручники, ...
- Ukrainian:наручники, надягати наручники, ...
- Hindi:हथकड़ी, हथकड़ी लगाना, ...

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