English Lexicon

Handcuff

/ˈhænd.kʌf/
nounverbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #2500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

1 sense
As noun
  1. 1

    A pair of lockable metal rings linked by a chain, used for securing a prisoner's wrists.

    "The police officer placed the handcuffs on the suspect."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (2)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Old English 'handcuffian', from 'hand' plus 'cuff' (from Old English 'cofe' or related to sleeve/band, later influenced by 'cuff' meaning the end of a sleeve).

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Handcuff"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Handcuff"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Handcuff" Synonym Map