English vocabulary · B2
Manacle
/ˈmæn.ɪ.kəl/ · n., v.
It means a metal ring or chain locked around a person's wrist to stop them from moving. Manacles are used to hold someone as a prisoner.
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Example sentences
- The prisoner's manacles were so tight he could not move his hands.
- Heavy iron manacles held the workers to the wall.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- man — hand (from Latin)
- acle — small thing (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- HANDCUFF — metal rings used by police (Modern & Police)
- SHACKLE — a metal ring for feet or hands (Heavy & Historical)
- CHAIN — metal rings joined together (General & Linking)
Words with the same root
man — hand
- manual — done by hand; a book of instructions
- emancipate — to set free from another person's control
- manuscript — a document written by hand
Lesson notes
Manacle. It means a metal ring or chain locked around a person's wrist to stop them from moving. Manacles are used to hold someone as a prisoner.
Similar words are handcuff, shackle, and chain. Use manacle when a metal ring locks around a person's wrist to hold them as a prisoner.
The prisoner's manacles were so tight he could not move his hands. Heavy iron manacles held the workers to the wall.
From Latin. man- means hand. acle- means small thing. A small thing locked onto the hand — that is a manacle.