- (usually plural) a shackle, handcuff, or fetter, used to secure the hands of a prisoner, convict, etc
- to put manacles on
- to confine or constrain
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
man•a•cle /ˈmænəkəl/USA pronunciation
n., v., -cled, -cling.
n. [countable]
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n. [countable]
- a handcuff.
v. [~ + object]
- to handcuff;
fetter. - to keep held back;
restrain.
man•a•cle
(man′ə kəl),USA pronunciation n., v., -cled, -cling.
n.
v.t.
n.
- a shackle for the hand;
handcuff. - Usually, manacles. restraints;
checks.
v.t.
- to handcuff;
fetter. - to hamper;
restrain:He was manacled by his inhibitions.
- Latin manicula small hand, handle of a plow. See manus, -i-, -cle1
- Middle French: handcuff
- Middle English, variant of manicle 1275–1325
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
manacle /ˈmænəkəl/ n
'manacle' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):