manacle

play

noun man·a·cle \ ˈma-ni-kəl \

Definition of manacle

1 :a shackle for the hand or wrist :handcuff —usually used in plural

2 :something used as a restraint

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Examples of manacle in a Sentence

manacles prevented the bear from roaming beyond a very small area
the warring groups need to shake off the manacle of their troubled past and learn to live with one another in peace

Recent Examples of manacle from the Web

Greek mythological figure Andromeda is shown looking upward, her wrists bound in manacles.

— theresa vargas, Washington Post, "Guinea pigs or pioneers? How Puerto Rican women were used to test the birth control pill.," 9 May 2017
Acknowledge it and allow his words to become his manacles?

— michael powell, New York Times, "Finding a Common Thread in the Al Jazeera Doping Report," 5 Jan. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'manacle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of manacle

Middle English manicle, from Anglo-French, from Latin manicula handle, diminutive of manicae shackles, armor for the hand, from manus hand — more at manual

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First Known Use: 14th century

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manacle Synonyms

Synonyms

band, bind, bracelet, chain, cuff (s), fetter, handcuff (s), irons, ligature, manacle (s), shackle

Related Words

captivity, confinement, constraint, curb, enchainment, enslavement, hindrance, immurement, imprisonment, incarceration, restraint, restriction; entanglement, net, trammel, trap; collar, straitjacket (also straightjacket); fastener, hobble, hold, hold-down, holding, tie

Near Antonyms

catalyst, goad, impetus, incentive, spur, stimulant, stimulus; advantage, break, edge; aid, assistance, benefit, boost, handmaiden (also handmaid), help

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

manacle

verb

Definition of manacle

manacled; manacling play \-k(ə-)liŋ\

transitive verb

1 :to confine (the hands) with manacles

2 :to make fast or secure :bind; broadly :to restrain from movement, progress, or action

Examples of manacle in a Sentence

manacled the prisoner to the wall
in this situation, the police are manacled by unnecessary regulations

Recent Examples of manacle from the Web

Although the new territory bolstered his neo-Soviet reclamation project, retaliatory sanctions from the West manacled the Russian economy.

— jack dickey, SI.com, "At odds with his native Russia, Garry Kasparov tries to stay a move ahead of Putin," 10 July 2017
Valedictorian Nickolina Doran told classmates not to let fear manacle them and halt their progress in life.

— bill leukhardt, courant.com, "Teen Killed In 2015 Crash Remembered At Southington High School Graduation," 20 June 2017
He was imprisoned and, along with several other artists, manacled for a period of 50 days.

— anne glusker, Smithsonian, "This Rare Display of a Japanese Triptych is Only Usurped by the Great Mysteries Surrounding It," 6 Apr. 2017
His hands were manacled in front of him; he was blindfolded by a dark hood pulled over his loose black Shirley Temple curls.

— robin wright, The New Yorker, "Face to Face with the Ghost of ISIS," 24 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of manacle

14th century

manacle Synonyms

Synonyms

chain, enchain, enfetter, fetter, gyve, handcuff, bind, pinion, shackle, trammel

Antonyms

unbind, unfetter, unshackle

Related Words

bit, hobble, hog-tie, iron, lash, secure, tie, truss; attach, fasten, join, link; confine, constrain, curb, hamper, hinder, impede; limit, restrict; entangle, tangle

Near Antonyms

emancipate, free, liberate, loose, release, rescue; undo, unfasten, untangle, untie; detach, disengage

Synonym Discussion of manacle

hamper, trammel, clog, fetter, shackle, manacle mean to hinder or impede in moving, progressing, or acting. hamper may imply the effect of any impeding or restraining influence.