zip cuff, n.

zip-cuff
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zip-cuff_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 2021

# zip cuffnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zip cuff mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zip cuff. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

This word is used in U.S. English.

### How is the noun zip cuff pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɪp kʌf/
ZIP kuff

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɪp ˌkəf/
ZIP kuff

### Where does the noun zip cuff come from?

Earliest known use

1990s

The earliest known use of the noun zip cuff is in the 1990s.

OED's earliest evidence for zip cuff is from 1995, in Harper's Magazine.

zip cuff is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: zip n.1, cuff n.1

### Nearby entries

1. zip, n.⁴ 1968–
2. zip, v.¹ 1852–
3. zip, v.² 1964–
4. zip, int. & n.¹ 1678–
5. zip-a-dee-doo-dah, int. & adj. 1945–
6. zip code, n. 1962–
7. zip-code, v. 1962–
8. zip-coded, adj. 1963–
9. zip-coding, n. 1964–
10. zip coon, n. 1833–
11. zip cuff, n.1995–
12. zip cuff, v. 1996–
13. Zipf, n. 1936–
14. zip fastener, n. 1925–
15. zip fastening, n. & adj. 1925–
16. zip gun, n. 1914–
17. Ziph, n. 1834–
18. ziphian, n. & adj. 1896
19. ziphiiform, adj. 1891
20. ziphioid, adj. & n. 1861–
21. zipless, adj. 1922–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by compounding.
< zip n.1 + cuff n.1

## Meaning & use

U.S.

1. 1995–
   Usually in plural. A fastener used as handcuffs, consisting of a thin, flexible nylon strap with a notched surface that is shaped to form two loops secured by a central ratchet.
   1. 1995

      > The police stoop down to arrest them... You can hear the zipping sound of plastic hand restraints—zipcuffs—being pulled tight.

      Harper's Magazine January 42/2
   2. 2004

      > They grabbed my arms and jerked my hands behind my back. I felt nylon zip cuffs ratchet around my wrists.

      T. Borg, Tahoe Killshot li. 267
   3. 2011

      > The riot police moved in with zip cuffs and teargassed the occupiers.

      @joshharkinson 15 November in twitter.com (accessed 27 Apr. 2018)
   U.S. English
   1. cops Old English–1200
      A shackle for any part of the body; a fetter (Old English fót-cops), manacle (hand-cops), or collar (sweor-cops), to secure a prisoner. Obsolete.
   2. manacle c1350–
      Usually in plural. A fetter for the hand; (more generally) a shackle.
   3. handlock 1532–
      A lockable metal ring used to secure the wrist of a prisoner to someone or something; a manacle, a handcuff; (in plural) a linked pair of these…
   4. hand-bolt 1563–
      A handcuff. Frequently in plural. Also figurative.
   5. handbinder 1585–
      a. A device for binding a person's hands, a fetter or handcuff; b. a device to assist in binding grain by hand; c. a person who binds books by hand.
   6. handcuff 1649–
      A lockable restraint consisting of a ring, typically made of metal and one of a pair joined by a short chain or bar, which can secure both a…
   7. cuff 1663–
      A fetter for the wrist, a handcuff, n.
   8. Darbies 1673–
      plural. Handcuffs: sometimes also, fetters. slang.
   9. glim-fenders 1699–
      Andirons; also punningly, handcuffs.
   10. shackle-bolt 1706–
       dialect. A handcuff.
   11. government securities 1707–
       a. = government paper, n.; †b. slang handcuffs; fetters (obsolete).
   12. pinion 1736–
       A manacle, a fetter. rare.
   13. ruffles 1776–
       In plural. slang. Handcuffs. Now rare.
   14. bracelet 1817–
       A fetter for the wrist, a gyve, hand-cuff.
   15. nippers 1821–
       In plural. slang. Handcuffs (see also quot. 1982).
   16. handicuff 1825–
       = handcuff, n.
   17. shangy 1839–
       A shackle; plural handcuffs.
   18. snitchers 1860–
       plural. Strings used by the police in place of handcuffs. Scottish.
   19. come-along 1874–
       North American colloquial. In plural. A type of manacle or handcuff. Now historical.
   20. shackle-irons 1876–
       Hand-cuffs.
   21. mitten 1880–
       slang. Now rare. (a) (In plural) handcuffs; (b) a hand or fist (usually in plural); (c) a boxing glove (usually in plural).
   22. wristlet 1881–
       A handcuff, a wrist-iron.
   23. snaps 1891–
       plural. Hand-cuffs. slang.
   24. snips 1891–
       plural. Handcuffs. slang.
   25. stringers 1893–
       plural. Handcuffs. slang.
   26. twister 1910–
       One who or that which turns about, turns from side to side, rotates, etc. A type of handcuff (see quot. 1939).
   27. zip tie 1983–
       A fastener consisting of a thin, flexible nylon strap with a notched surface, which is secured by feeding one end through a locking mechanism at the…
   28. zip cuff 1995–
       Usually in plural. A fastener used as handcuffs, consisting of a thin, flexible nylon strap with a notched surface that is shaped to form two…
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɪp kʌf/
ZIP kuff

### U.S. English

/ˈzɪp ˌkəf/
ZIP kuff

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zip cuff, v. 1996–
   transitive. To put zip cuffs on (a person); to…

zip cuff, n. was first published in March 2021.

zip cuff, n. was last modified in July 2023.