fetter
verb /ˈfetə(r)/
/ˈfetər/
[usually passive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they fetter | /ˈfetə(r)/ /ˈfetər/ |
| he / she / it fetters | /ˈfetəz/ /ˈfetərz/ |
| past simple fettered | /ˈfetəd/ /ˈfetərd/ |
| past participle fettered | /ˈfetəd/ /ˈfetərd/ |
| -ing form fettering | /ˈfetərɪŋ/ /ˈfetərɪŋ/ |
- fetter somebody (literary) to limit somebody’s freedom to do what they want
- He felt fettered by petty rules and regulations.
- fetter somebody to put chains around a prisoner’s feet synonym shackle
- A man lay fettered on the floor of the prison cell.
Word OriginOld English feter, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch veter ‘a lace’, from an Indo-European root shared by foot.