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Glite Dictionary
straightjacket

straightjacket

6 8.3
A strong jacket with long sleeves tied behind the back to stop someone moving their arms
  • noun
  • /ˈstreɪtˌdʒækɪt/
  • US
translation icon : camisa de fuerza
  • The doctors put him in a straightjacket to prevent him from hurting himself.

Examples

  • Everyone said that Ed should be in a straightjacket.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • My father reached out, grabbed my arm, and got me into some kind of straightjacket hold.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • This man should be in a straightjacket.

    The Producers (2005)

  • Better get him a straightjacket.

    The Front Page (1974)

  • The police came with a straightjacket.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • A figure in a straightjacket with his head bowed.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • His chest and shoulders had bruises from his struggle with the straightjacket, some of the bruises as wide as hands.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • They don't put you in booties and a straightjacket if you're just freaked out.

    The Ring (2002)

  • After his outburst, they had no choice but to place him in a straightjacket for safety.

  • She could see the straightjacket hanging in the corner of the room, a reminder of the last patient.

Synonyms

straitjacket
vsstraightjacket
15 7.8

A strong jacket with long sleeves tied to stop someone moving their arms

has identical meaning but differs in spelling form

Surface Forms

straightjacket singular
straightjackets plural

Etymology

Straightjacket comes from an older form straitjacket, where strait meant 'tight' or 'narrow'. So it was literally a 'tight jacket' that holds a person's arms behind their back and stops them moving, and that's why we also call rules or systems a 'straightjacket' when they limit freedom.