straitjacketnoun [ C usually singular ]
also straightjacket uk/ˈstreɪtˌdʒæk.ɪt/us/ˈstreɪtˌdʒæk.ɪt/a strong piece of special clothing that ties the arms to the body and is used for limiting the movements of dangerous prisoners and mentally ill patients whose behaviour is violent:
Brody was locked in a padded cell and forced to wear a straitjacket.
disapproving something that severely limits development or activity in a way that is damaging:
He refused to be fitted into any ideological straitjacket.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Prisons & parts of prisons
- approved school
- Bastille
- boot camp
- borstal
- brig
- clink
- gaoler
- halfway house
- HMP
- house of correction
- jail
- matron
- prison
- prison camp
- protective custody
- remand centre
- screw
- slop
- straightjacket
- young offender institution
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Coats, jackets & cloaks
Science of psychology & psychoanalysis
Limiting and restricting