| 单词 | ball and chain |
| 释义 | ball and chainSEE SYNONYMS FOR ball and chain ON THESAURUS.COM nouna heavy iron ball fastened by a chain to a prisoner's leg. a burdensome restraint: The steady accumulation of small debts was a ball and chain to his progress. Facetious Slang: Often Offensive. a person's spouse or romantic partner, especially a female. Origin of ball and chainAn Americanism dating back to 1825–35 usage note for ball and chainIn the meaning “romantic partner,” this term is consciously used for humorous or playful effect. But it is often perceived as insulting, implying that the partner is a burden or restriction on the other partner. Words nearby ball and chainballad opera, balladry, ballad stanza, ball ammunition, Ballance, ball and chain, ball-and-claw foot, ball and ring, ball-and-socket joint, Ballantyne, Ballarat Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for ball and chain
British Dictionary definitions for ball and chainball and chain noun(formerly) a heavy iron ball attached to a chain and fastened to a prisoner a heavy restraint slang a wife Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Idioms and Phrases with ball and chainball and chain A burden and restraint, as in Karen regarded her job as a ball and chain, but she needed the money. The term, dating from the early 1800s, alludes to chaining a heavy iron ball to a prisoner's leg. Later it was transferred to other kinds of restraining burden. The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. |
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