manacle
English
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manacle
- /ˈmænək(ə)l/ UK
- /ˈmænəkəl/ US
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English manacle, manakelle, manakil, manakyll, manicle, manikil, manycle, manykil, manykle, from Anglo-Norman manicle, manichle (“gauntlet; handle of a plough; (in plural) manacles”), and Middle French manicle, Old French manicle (“armlet; gauntlet; (in plural) manacles”) (modern French manicle, manique (“gauntlet”)), from Latin manicula (“handle of a plough; manacle”), from manus (“hand”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon, signal”)) + -cula (from -culus, variant of -ulus (suffix forming diminutive nouns)). Doublet of manicle and manicule.
The verb is probably derived from the noun, although according to the Oxford English Dictionary it is attested slightly earlier.
noun manacles
- A shackle for the wrist, usually consisting of a pair of joined rings; a handcuff; (by extension) a similar device put around an ankle to restrict free movement. And gainſt the General we will lift our ſwords And either lanch his greedie thirſting throat, Or take him priſoner, and his chaine ſhall ſerue For Manackles, till he be ranſom’d home.
- A fetter, a restriction. Admit no other way to ſaue his life / [...] that you, his Siſter, / Finding your ſelfe deſir'd of such a perſon, / Whoſe creadit with the Iudge, or owne great place, / Could fetch your Brother from the Manacles / Of the all-building-Law: and that there were / No earthly meane to ſaue him, but that e
verb manacles · manacling · manacled
- To confine with manacles. [C]ome, / Ile manacle thy necke and feete together: / Sea water ſhalt thou drinke: thy food ſhall be / The freſh-brooke Muſſels, wither'd roots, and huskes / Wherein the Acorne cradled.
Translations
Every language
noun shackle for the wrist
| Español | esposas, manillas |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 手錠 tejō |
| 中文 | 手銬 /手铐 shǒukào |
| Português | algema |
| Deutsch | Handschellen |
| Italiano | manette |
| Ελληνικά | χειροπέδη cheiropédi, χειροπέδες cheiropédes |
| Română | cătușe |
| Русский | нару́чники narúčniki, кандалы́ kandalý, око́вы okóvy |
verb to confine with manacles
| Español | esposar |
|---|---|
| Română | încătușa |
| Русский | заковывать zakovyvatʹ |
Talk about this word "manacle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/manacle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. manacle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/manacle "manacle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/manacle.Cite this
@misc{manacle_2026,
title = {manacle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/manacle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
