Trammelling
/ˈtræm.əl.ɪŋ/noun
The act of hindering, restricting, or entangling something.
Did you know?The core of *trammel* is tied to nets and restraints, and English later turned that physical image into a metaphor for being spiritually, mentally, or socially “bound.”
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
trammelen
“To hinder, entangle, or restrain; also to fish or net with trammels.”
Middle English
English
trammel
“A net or device used to confine, control, or entangle.”
Old French
OF
tramele
“A kind of net or snare.”
Late Latin
LL
tramella
“A small net; a snare.”
Latin
LA
trabs / trama
“A beam or woven structure; likely connected to the idea of a net-like framework.”
Explore more surprising origins