Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To shackle, as a horse or a cow, by a rope or strap attached to the head and to one of the legs, to prevent it from running away or wandering too far; hence, to curb; restrain.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To fasten (an animal) by a rope binding the head to one of the fore legs; ; hence, to bind or restrain; to curb.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To fasten (an animal) by a rope binding the head to one of the fore legs; as, to hamshackle a horse or cow; hence, to bind or restrain; to curb.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

ham + shackle

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Examples

  • Would to Heaven he was yoked to some tight piece of business, no matter whether well or ill paid, but some job that would hamshackle him at least until the courts rose, if it were but for decency's sake. '

    Redgauntlet Walter Scott 1801

  • Would to Heaven he was yoked to some tight piece of business, no matter whether well or ill paid, but some job that would hamshackle him at least until the courts rose, if it were but for decency’s sake.’

    Redgauntlet 2008

Comments

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  • When casting with fly fishing tackle

    The novice who has not the knack'll

    Find that such angling

    Is deeply entangling

    And wind up impaled and hamshackled.

    July 30, 2016