Link Centre Dictionary

cuff

UK/kʊf/ US/kʌf/ fairly common informal slang
noun (2) verb (2)

noun

1.

the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg

Synonyms
2.

shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist; usually used in pairs

Synonyms

verb

1.

hit with the hand

Synonyms
2.

confine or restrain with or as if with manacles or handcuffs

  • “The police handcuffed the suspect at the scene of the crime”
Synonyms

Origin

1520, “to hit”, apparently of North Germanic origin, from Norwegian kuffa (“to push, shove”) or Swedish kuffa (“to knock, thrust, strike”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ-, see also Lithuanian skùbti (“to hurry”), Polish skubać (“to pluck”), Albanian humb (“to lose”). Germanic cognates include Low German kuffen (“to box the ears”), German kuffen (“to thrash”). More at scuff, shove, scuffle.

Phrases

  • cuff out
  • cuff the carrot
  • double cuff
  • French cuff
  • leg cuff
  • mousquetaire cuff
  • off the cuff
  • on the cuff
  • pressure cuff
  • rotator cuff

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.