straitjacket

or straight·jack·et

[ streyt-jak-it ]
/ ˈstreɪtˌdʒæk ɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR straitjacket ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a garment made of strong material and designed to bind the arms, as of a violently disoriented person.
anything that severely confines, constricts, or hinders: Conventional attitudes can be a straitjacket, preventing original thinking.

verb (used with object) Also strait-jack·et.

to put in or as in a straitjacket: Her ambition was straitjacketed by her family.

Origin of straitjacket

First recorded in 1805–15; strait + jacket

Words nearby straitjacket

straining sill, strait, strait-lace, strait-laced, straiten, straitjacket, straits dollar, straits settlements, strake, stralsund, stramash

Words related to straitjacket

embargo, restriction, constraint, prohibition, reduction, limit, ban, curb, cramp, weight, imprisonment, obstruction, obstacle, decrease, interdict, check, stoppage, repression, arrest, impediment

Example sentences from the Web for straitjacket

British Dictionary definitions for straitjacket

straitjacket
/ (ˈstreɪtˌdʒækɪt) /

noun

Also called: straightjacket a jacket made of strong canvas material with long sleeves for binding the arms of violent prisoners or mentally ill patients
a severe restriction or limitation

verb

(tr) to confine in or as if in a straitjacket

Medical definitions for straitjacket

straitjacket

n.

A long-sleeved jacketlike garment used to bind the arms tightly against the body as a means of restraining a violent person.