shackle
Syllables: shack·le/ˈʃækl̩/US/ˈʃæk(ə)l/
shackle noun: 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. Also the ellipsis of shackle-bone.
Noun (1)
shackle (plural shackles)
- 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.
- The prisoner lay in shackles in his gloomy cell.
- Slaves cannot breathe in England; if their lungs / Receive our air, that moment they are free, / They touch our country and their ſhackles fall. / That's noble, and beſpeaks a nation proud / And jealous of the bleſſing.1785, William Cowper, “Book II. The Time-piece.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 47
- Synonyms:
- fetter
- 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.
- 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 hook, ring, or other device for connecting, holding, lifting, etc.; specifically (nautical), a small incomplete ring secured with a bolt across the ends, used to connect lengths of cable or chain together, or to keep a porthole closed.
- Shackles come in various sizes and are used to join recovery items to the vehicle or to each other. They come in two shapes and are known as either bow shackles or D-shackles. The bow shackle is the preferred shape because it permits easier attachment of bulky items and is the most common style of...2019, Vic Widman, “4WD Recovery Equipment”, in 4WD Driving Skills: A Manual for On- and Off-road Travel, 2nd edition, Clayton South, Melbourne, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing, →ISBN, page 164
- Synonym of hobble or hopple (“a short strap tied between the legs of a horse, allowing it to wander a short distance but not to run off”).
- Soles, fetters, ⁊ ſhackles, with horſelock and pad, / a cow-houſe for winter, ſo meete to be had: / A ſtie for a bore, and a hogſcote for hog, / a rooſt for thy hennes, and a couch for thy dog.1580, Thomas Tusser, “A Digression to Husbandlie Furniture”, in Fiue Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie: […], London: […] Henrie Denham [beeing the assigne of William Seres] […], →OCLC, stanza 21...
- IF a horſe be galled in the paſtorne, on the heele, or vpon the cronet, either vvith ſhackell or locke, as it many times happens in the Champion countries, vvhere the Farmers vſe much to teather their horſes: then for ſuch a ſoare you ſhall take hony and verdigreaſe, and boyle them together till...1610, Gervase Markham, “Of the Shackle-gall, or Gall in the Pastorne, either by Shackel or Locke”, in Markhams Maister-peece. Or, What doth a Horse-man Lacke. Containing All Possible Knowledge...
- A link for connecting railroad cars; a draglink, drawbar, or drawlink.
- A fetter-like band worn on an appendage as an ornament; an anklet, an armlet, a bracelet, a wristlet.
- They firſt vvaſh the dead body, paint him, clothe him, and ſo conueigh him to his Dormitorie, vvhich is ſpacious and neat, vvherein they bury his Armolets, Bracelets, Shackles and ſuch Treaſure, concluding their Ceremonies vvith Mimmicke geſtures and eiaculations: vvhich, vvith the Sacrifice of a...1634, T[homas] H[erbert], “[Angola]”, in A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby, and Jacob Bloome, →OCLC, pages 9–10
- [M]oſt of the Men and VVomen […] had all Ear-rings made of Gold, and Gold Shackles about their Legs and Arms: […]1697, William Dampier, chapter XVIII, in A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, page 514
- A restraint on one's action, activity, or progress.
- [A] Servant commonly is leſs free in Mind than in Condition; his very VVill ſeems to be in bonds and ſhackles, and Deſire it ſelf under a kind of Durance and Captivity.1664; first published 1694, Robert South, “A Sermon Preached before the University, at Christ-Church, Oxon. 1664.”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume II, London: […]...
- Virtue's a Shackle, under fair Diſguiſe, / To fetter Fools, vvhile vve bear off the Prize.1728 (date written), Edward Young, The Brothers. A Tragedy. […], London: […] R[obert] Dodsley […], published 1753, →OCLC, Act II, page 27
- A length of cable or chain equal to 12½ fathoms (75 feet or about 22.9 metres), or later to 15 fathoms (90 feet or about 27.4 metres).
- Once the cables are at five shackles to each anchor, stop engines and stop windlass operations. The vessel will then be seen to lie to five shackles on the Port (Riding Cable) and five shackles on the starboard (Sleeping Cable).2007, David J. House, “Anchor Operations and Deployment”, in Ship Handling: Theory and Practice, Oxford, Oxfordshire; Burlington, Mass.: Butterworth-Heinemann, →ISBN, page 92
Verb (1)
shackle (third-person singular simple present shackles, present participle shackling, simple past and past participle shackled)
- To place (a person or animal) in shackles (noun etymology 1 sense 1); to immobilize or restrain using shackles.
- A man giuen ouer to ſenſual appetite carrieth fetters in his eyes, vvhervvith he shackleth, glevv, vvhervvith he layeth faſt hold, hookes, vvhervvith he catcheth, flames vvhervvith he burneth, ſhafts, vvhervvith he transfixeth both his ovvne and the ſoules of other men: ſhackled vvith theſe...1633, Hier[emas] Drexlius [i.e., Jeremias Drexel], “The Fifth Allurement to Incontinency, Wandring Eyes”, in R. S. [Robert Stanford?], transl., Nicetas or The Triumph ouer Incontinencie […], [Rouen...
- Huelydd, sub[stantive] a fetterer, he that shackleth or fettereth1815, Thomas Richards, “Huelydd, sub.”, in Antiquæ Linguæ Britannicæ Thesaurus. A Welsh and English Dictionary: […], 2nd edition, Trefriw, Clwyd, Wales: […] I. Davies […], →OCLC, page 269, column 1
- Antonyms:
- uncuff, unfetter, unhandcuff, unmanacle, unshackle
- 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.).
- To provide (something) with a shackle.
- To inhibit or restrain the ability, action, activity, or progress of (someone or something); to render (someone or something) incapable or ineffectual.
- This law would effectively shackle its opposition.
- [I]t were a plaine ſlauerie, ⁊ iniurie to, to ſhakkle and tye a good witte, and hinder the courſe of a mãs [man's] good nature with ſuch bondes of ſeruitude, in folowyng other.a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, “[The Second Booke Teachyng the Ready Way to the Latin Tong]”, in Margaret Ascham, editor, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to...
- Synonyms:
- bind, hamshackle, tie
- To combine (a substance) with another substance.
- Bitterneſs is produced by a Sulphur vvell impregnated, either vvith an Alkaline, or an Acid Salt, but alſo ſhackled vvith Earth.1675 April 4 (Gregorian calendar), Nehemiah Grew, “[Several Lectures Read before the Royal Society.] A Discourse of the Diversities and Causes of Tasts Chiefly in Plants. Read before the Royal...
- [A] little of that Fixed Salt, ſerves, it ſeems, to Shackle or Cryſtallize (vvhich is a degree of Fixation) a very great quantity of the Eſſential Salt of this Plant.1681, Nehemiah Grew, “Of Arborescent Plants”, in Musæum Regalis Societatis. Or A Catalogue & Description of the Natural and Artificial Rarities Belonging to the Royal Society and Preserved at Gresham...
- Of two things: to connect or couple together.
Noun (2)
shackle (plural shackles)
Verb (2)
shackle (third-person singular simple present shackles, present participle shackling, simple past and past participle shackled)
Proper noun capitalized: Shackle
Shackle
- A surname
Also used as
shackle is also the ellipsis of shackle-bone.
shackle meaning in Telugu, Malayalam, Arabic and Vietnamese
shackle in Telugu
- restraint fitted over an appendage
- బంధనాలు bandhanālu, సంకెళ్ళు saṅkeḷḷu
shackle in Malayalam
- restraint fitted over an appendage
- വിലങ്ങ് vilaṅṅŭ
shackle in Arabic
- restraint fitted over an appendage
- قَيْد qayd, غِلّ ḡill
shackle in Vietnamese
- restraint fitted over an appendage
- xích, xiềng xích, xiềng
- to place (a person or animal) in shackles; to immobilize or restrain using shackles
- xích, xiềng, xiềng xích
Examples of shackle in a sentence
- Tom got in, and Haley, drawing out from under the wagon seat a heavy pair of shackles, made them fast around each ankle.1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The Property is Carried Off”, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume I...
- Shackles come in various sizes and are used to join recovery items to the vehicle or to each other.2019, Vic Widman, “4WD Recovery Equipment”, in 4WD Driving Skills: A Manual for On- and Off-road Travel, 2nd edition, Clayton South...
- I should have thought some sleek and sober mule / Long train'd in shackles to procession pace, / More suited to my Lord of Seville's use / Than this good war-horse, . .1814, Robert Southey, “Canto XXV”, in Roderick the Last of the Goths, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by...
- Cast off the shackles of yesterday! / Shoulder to shoulder into the fray!1963 April–December (date recorded), Richard M[orton] Sherman, Robert B[ernard] Sherman, “Sister Suffragette”, in Mary Poppins: Original...
Synonyms of shackle
2 more synonymsFewer synonyms
Antonyms
Forms of shackle
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | shackles |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | shackles |
| present participle | shackling |
| past participle | shackled |
| past | shackled |
| second-person singular present (archaic) | shacklest |
| second-person singular past (archaic) | shackledst |
| third-person singular present (archaic) | shackleth |
Origin of shackle
From Middle English shakel, schakkyl, schakle (“a fetter, shackle; coupling used to connect a plough or wagon to a draft chain”), from Old English sċacul, sċeacel, sċeacul (“fetter, shackle”), from Proto-West Germanic *skakul, from Proto-Germanic *skakulaz (“shackle”), possibly from *skakaną (“to shake; to swing; to escape”), from Proto-Indo-European *skeg-, *skek- (“to shake; to stir”). However, this is doubted by the Oxford English Dictionary because *skeg-, *skek- lack the meaning of attaching or fastening. Etymology 1 sense 3 (“length of cable or chain equal to 12½ or 15 fathoms”) derives from the original distance between two shackles (etymology 1 sense 1.1.3) connecting lengths of cable or chain together. Cognates * Danish skagle (“carriage trace”) * Dutch schakel (“clasp; link; shackle”) * German Schäckel (“shackle”) * Icelandic skökull (“carriage pole”) * Swedish skakel (“loose shaft of a carriage”)
From Middle English schakelen, schakkylen (“(also figurative) to put (someone) in shackles; to protect (legs) with greaves”), from shakel, schakkyl, schakle (noun) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming the infinitives of verbs).
From shack (“variant of shake”), shake (verb) + -le (suffix forming agent nouns; frequentative suffix forming verbs).
Words formed from shackle
Phrases with shackle
Words that rhyme with shackle
Questions about shackle
- What does shackle mean?
- Shackle means 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.
- What is shackle in Telugu?
- Shackle in Telugu is బంధనాలు (bandhanālu), సంకెళ్ళు (saṅkeḷḷu). See Shackle meaning in Telugu.
- How do you use shackle in a sentence?
- Tom got in, and Haley, drawing out from under the wagon seat a heavy pair of shackles, made them fast around each ankle.
- What part of speech is shackle?
- Shackle can be a noun, a verb or a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce shackle?
- Shackle is pronounced /ˈʃækl̩/ (UK).
- What is the plural of shackle?
- The plural of shackle is shackles.
Words near shackle in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: shackle (page history and authors); Shackle (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-shackle.wav.
Cite this entry: “shackle.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/shackle. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.