trammel

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A shackle used to teach a horse to amble.
2. n. Something that restricts activity, expression, or progress; a restraint.
3. n. A vertically set fishing net of three layers, consisting of a finely meshed net between two nets of coarse mesh.
4. n. An instrument for describing ellipses.
5. n. An instrument for gauging and adjusting parts of a machine; a tram.
6. n. An arrangement of links and a hook in a fireplace for raising and lowering a kettle.
7. v. To enmesh in or as if in a fishing net. See Synonyms at hamper¹.
8. v. To hinder the activity or free movement of.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A net for fishing; a trawl-net or trawl; a drag-net. See trammel-net.
2. n. A net for binding up or confining the hair.
3. n. A shackle; specifically, a kind of shackle used for regulating the motions of a horse, and making him amble.
4. n. Whatever hinders activity, freedom, or progress; an impediment.
5. n. An implement hung in a fireplace to support pots and other culinary vessels. Trammels are hung from the back-bar or from a crane; they are often so constructed in two parts that they can be lengthened and shortened.
6. n. An instrument for drawing ellipses, used by joiners and other artificers; an ellipsograph. One part consists of a cross with two grooves at right angles; the other is a beam-compass which carries the describing pencil, and is guided by two pins which slide in the grooves.
7. n. A beam-compass.
8. To catch as in a net; make captive; restrain.
9. To shackle; confine; hamper.
10. To train slavishly; inure to conformity or obedience.

Wiktionary

1. n. Whatever impedes activity, progress, or freedom, as a net or shackle.
2. n. A fishing net that has large mesh at the edges and smaller mesh in the middle
3. n. A set of rings or other hanging devices, attached to a transverse bar suspended over a fire, used to hang cooking pots etc.
4. n. A net for confining a woman's hair.
5. n. A kind of shackle used for regulating the motions of a horse and making him amble.
6. n. engineering An instrument for drawing ellipses, one part of which consists of a cross with two grooves at right angles to each other, the other being a beam carrying two pins (which slide in those grooves), and also the describing pencil.
7. n. A beam compass
8. v. To entangle, as in a net.
9. v. transitive To confine; to hamper; to shackle.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A kind of net for catching birds, fishes, or other prey.
2. n. A net for confining a woman's hair.
3. n. A kind of shackle used for regulating the motions of a horse and making him amble.
4. n. Fig.: Whatever impedes activity, progress, or freedom, as a net or shackle.
5. n. An iron hook of various forms and sizes, used for handing kettles and other vessels over the fire.
6. n. An instrument for drawing ellipses, one part of which consists of a cross with two grooves at right angles to each other, the other being a beam carrying two pins (which slide in those grooves), and also the describing pencil.
7. n. A beam compass. See under Beam.
8. v. rare To entangle, as in a net; to catch.
9. v. To confine; to hamper; to shackle.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a restraint that is used to teach a horse to amble
2. v. place limits on (extent or access)
3. v. catch in or as if in a trap
4. n. a restraint that confines or restricts freedom (especially something used to tie down or restrain a prisoner)
5. n. an adjustable pothook set in a fireplace
6. n. a fishing net with three layers; the outer two are coarse mesh and the loose inner layer is fine mesh