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. (plural only) A fastening consisting of two metal rings, designed to go around a person's wrists, and connected by a chain or hinge.
    • 2014, Ian Black, "Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis", The Guardian, 27 November 2014:
      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
Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

handcuffs

  1. plural of handcuff

Etymology 3

Verb

handcuffs

  1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of handcuff

References
  1. “handcuffs” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
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