镣铐 (liào kào) — shackles; fetters and handcuffs

Definition

noun

shacklesfetters and handcuffs

Measure word · 副

镣铐。
Tā dài zhe chén zhòng de liào kào.
He is wearing heavy shackles.
镣铐，。
Zhè xiē jiù xí sú jiù xiàng liào kào, ràng rén bú zì yóu.
These old customs are like shackles that keep people unfree.
镣铐。
Jǐng chá dǎ kāi le fàn rén de liào kào.
The police unlocked the prisoner's shackles.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

镣liàofetter

铐kàohandcuff

镣 and 铐 are both restraints, so together they mean shackles.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鐐; 镣 is its simplified writing.

金尞鐐

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

尞

尞liáo鐐liào

Same sound today

The traditional form 鐐 shows metal with 金 and takes its sound from 尞; the simplified 镣 is a later shorthand.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in