handcuffs

English
A pair of handcuffs.

Etymology 1

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

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
Derived terms
Translations

Noun

handcuffs

  1. plural of handcuff

Verb

handcuffs

  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of handcuff

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