French Conversation · Level 123
59 words
French word
menotte
Pronunciation
IPA/mənɔt/
Meaning
- feminine nounhandcuff
Example
La police lui a mis les menottes.
The police put handcuffs on him.
More examples
Il a réussi à retirer les menottes.
He managed to remove the handcuffs.
Core concept
Paired metal restraints encircle the wrists, connected by a short chain or a hinge.
Common phrases
mettre les menottes
put handcuffs on
enlever les menottes
remove handcuffs
les menottes aux poignets
handcuffs on the wrists
Similar words
menottement: The act of restraining someone by putting handcuffs on them.
bracelet: A ring-shaped ornament worn around the wrist.
chaîne: A series of linked metal rings used to connect objects.
Definition in French
Deux bracelets métalliques reliés par une chaîne ou une articulation, destinés à entourer les poignets et à limiter les mouvements d'une personne.
Word origin
French inherited menotte through Old French manotte, a diminutive formation related to Latin manus, the word for 'hand'.
Usage tips
- Menotte is feminine, so its singular article is une, but the standard arrest expression is mettre les menottes à quelqu'un.
Other meanings
- manaclenoun
Opposites
- libertéfreedomnoun
- libérationreleasenoun
Related words
- menotterhandcuffverb
- menottéhandcuffedadjective
- menottagehandcuffingnoun