handcuff
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to put handcuffs on.
-
to restrain or thwart (someone) by or as if by handcuffing.
The amendments handcuffed the committee and prevented further action.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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handcuffsimple
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handcuffssimple
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have handcuffedperfect
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has handcuffedperfect
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am handcuffingprogressive
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are handcuffingprogressive
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is handcuffingprogressive
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have been handcuffingperfect progressive
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has been handcuffingperfect progressive
Past
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handcuffedsimple
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had handcuffedperfect
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was handcuffingprogressive
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were handcuffingprogressive
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had been handcuffingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of handcuff
Explanation
A handcuff is a metal restraint that closes around a person's wrist. When police arrest a suspect, they often put handcuffs on him. You'll almost always find this word in its plural form, since handcuffs come in pairs, one for each wrist. It's also a verb, meaning "to put handcuffs on a person." Police officers carry handcuffs with them, so that they're ready to handcuff criminals and troublemakers. Handcuffs hold the wrists close to each other, usually behind the wearer's back. The earliest meaning of handcuff was "decorative sleeve," in the 1640s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They travelled the country together showcasing his Musical Hall act "Leo Selwyn the Handcuff Prince", with Roberts as his glamorous assistant.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
Chris Petzer, the owner of Handcuff Warehouse, a Virginia-based law enforcement equipment company that supplies spit hoods, said the emergence of the coronavirus has only heightened the growing demand for the devices.
From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2020
In the old days, back when the real Houdini toured the world as “the Handcuff King,” the octopus had a very different meaning.
From Slate • Mar. 1, 2018
The Peerless Handcuff Company was still hawking its wares, as was Peacekeeper, which sells batons and lets prospective customers bash “Numb John XT”, a dummy, to try them out.
From Economist • Oct. 29, 2015
The famous "Handcuff King" flew a Voisin so long ago as November 2nd, 1909.
From Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1913 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
