handcuffs

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English

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A pair of handcuffs.

Etymology 1

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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

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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.
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Etymology 2

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Noun

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handcuffs

  1. plural of handcuff

Etymology 3

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Verb

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handcuffs

  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of handcuff

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “handcuffs”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.