shackle
verb/ˈʃækl/
/ˈʃækl/
[often passive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they shackle | /ˈʃækl/ /ˈʃækl/ |
| he / she / it shackles | /ˈʃæklz/ /ˈʃæklz/ |
| past simple shackled | /ˈʃækld/ /ˈʃækld/ |
| past participle shackled | /ˈʃækld/ /ˈʃækld/ |
| -ing form shackling | /ˈʃæklɪŋ/ /ˈʃæklɪŋ/ |
- to put shackles on somebody
- be shackled (to something) The hostage had been shackled to a radiator.
- The prisoners were kept shackled during the trial.
- shackle somebody/something to prevent somebody from behaving or speaking as they want
- She is opposed to shackling the press with privacy laws.
Word OriginOld English sc(e)acul ‘fetter’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schakel ‘link, coupling’.
Check pronunciation:
shackle