manacle

C1 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /ˈmænəkəl/ UK /ˈmænək(ə)l/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like monocle /æ/ vs /ɑ/

noun verb

Meanings

1

noun
a metal band, chain, or shackle for fastening someone's hands or ankles

The prisoner was led away in manacles.
2

noun
a restraint or hindrance

The regulations acted as a manacle on the company's growth.
3

verb
to restrain with handcuffs or shackles

The guards manacled the captives before the march.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a metal band, chain, or... cuff shackle fetter restraint chain

2 noun · a restraint or hindrance restraint fetter constraint hindrance

3 verb · to restrain with handcuffs... handcuff shackle restrain cuff bind

Opposites

free release unshackle

Etymology

From Latin manus ('hand') plus the diminutive suffix -culus, yielding Late Latin manicula ('handcuff; small hand'); via Old French manicle to Middle English manacle (14th c., 'shackle for the hands'), modern English manacle (handcuff; restraint).

Topics

Materials & Substances

# manacle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** ˈmænəkəl
**IPA (UK):** ˈmænək(ə)l

## Meanings
1. a metal band, chain, or shackle for fastening someone's hands or ankles
2. a restraint or hindrance
3. to restrain with handcuffs or shackles

## Examples
- The prisoner was led away in manacles.
- The regulations acted as a manacle on the company's growth.
- The guards manacled the captives before the march.

## Synonyms
- cuff
- shackle
- fetter
- restraint
- chain
- constraint
- hindrance
- handcuff
- restrain
- bind

## Antonyms
- free
- release
- unshackle

## Etymology
From Latin manus ('hand') plus the diminutive suffix -culus, yielding Late Latin manicula ('handcuff; small hand'); via Old French manicle to Middle English manacle (14th c., 'shackle for the hands'), modern English manacle (handcuff; restraint).

## AI Etymology
Manacle comes from Latin manus ('hand') plus the diminutive suffix -culus, yielding Late Latin manicula ('handcuff; small hand'); via Old French manicle to Middle English manacle (14th c., 'shackle for the hands'), modern English manacle (handcuff; restraint). In current use it is a noun and verb meaning "a metal band, chain, or shackle for fastening someone's hands or ankles". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. A diminutive element is part of the history, marking a smaller or derived form. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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manacle

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