Handcuff

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈhændˌkʌf/

Definitions

1. A metal restraining device consisting of two connected rings that lock around a person's wrists to prevent movement
2. A device made of metal that securely clasps the wrists together to restrict movement and is commonly used by law enforcement personnel
3. A restraining apparatus that connects two rings around the wrists, limiting movement and often utilized by police during arrests

Etymology: Before "handcuff" named a pair of metal restraints, it was a fairly ordinary pairing: "hand" and "cuff," where "cuff" meant the end of a shirtsleeve, the part that wraps around the wrist. The compound describes the object's job almost literally, a piece of cloth or metal fastened around the hand. The surprise is how old the idea is and how little continuity there is. Middle English had "handcops," shackles for the hand, which came from Old English "handcops," built from "hand" and "cops," a word for fetters or chains. Yet centuries separate those words from the modern term, so the modern "handcuff" is generally treated as a fresh invention made from English parts rather than a survival of the older word. The noun first appears around 1591 in the publications of John Florio, and the verb follows around 1649.

Synonyms: shackle, restraint