shackle
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
shakuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈʃækəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
usually in the plural
A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
figurativeusually in the plural
A restraint on one's action, activity, or progress.
A U-shaped bar; the open end can be passed through chain links and closed with a bar
by extension
A U-shaped piece of metal secured with a bolt or pin across the ends, or a hinged metal loop secured with a quick-release locking pin mechanism, used for attaching things together while allowing for some degree of movement; a clevis.
by extension
Part of a padlock that consists of a loop of metal (round or square in cross section) that encompasses what is being secured by the lock.
A person who is idle or lazy; an idler.
verb
transitive
To place (a person or animal) in shackles (noun etymology 1, sense 1); to immobilize or restrain using shackles.
Restrain with fetters
transitivefigurative
To inhibit or restrain the ability, action, activity, or progress of (someone or something); to render (someone or something) incapable or ineffectual.
transitive
To connect or couple (something) to another thing using a shackle (noun etymology 1, sense 1.1.1, etymology 1, sense 1.1.3, etc.).
intransitivereflexive
Of two things: to connect or couple together.
transitive
To put (something) into disorder; specifically (agriculture), to cause (standing stalks of corn) to fall over.
Word at a Glance
- Frequency
- Rare
- Formality
- Technical
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
Used this way, shackle is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- trammels , rarer, so it draws attention
- trammel , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.