a pair of metal rings joined by a short chain, used for fastening a prisoner's wrists together.
The police officer clicked the handcuffs onto the suspect's wrists.
The thief was dragged away in handcuffs.
✦ Mid 17th century (originally denoting a kind of gauntlet): from hand + cuff in the sense of ‘glove’.
restrain or secure (someone) with handcuffs.
The officers quickly handcuffed the bank robber.
She handcuffed the prisoner to the bedpost.
