Cuff
/kʌf/noun
A band at the end of a sleeve or trouser leg; also, to strike someone with the hand or restrain with handcuffs.
Did you know?The handcuff sense is a later development from the idea of a band or fastening, not the original word; the dark, restraining vibe is an extension, not the root.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kop-
“A bent or curved shape; source of several Germanic words for a covering or rounded form.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kuppô / *kuffō
“A rounded covering or cap-like piece.”
Old English
OE
cuffe
“A cuff or band at a sleeve end.”
Middle English
English
cuffe
“The lower band of a sleeve; later also a blow with the hand.”
Modern English
English
cuff
“The band at the end of a sleeve or trouser leg; a hand strike or a handcuff.”