esp. figurative. Said of sickness, sin, passion, affection, intellectual embarrassment, a magic spell, etc.

figurative and gen. To impede or obstruct in action: †(a) to restrain, fetter (obsolete); (b) to entangle, encumber, or embarrass, with obstacles…

figurative. To fetter, confine, bind; to restrain.

To confine or restrict the action of (a person); to constrain, coerce.

transitive. In extended use: to confine, restrain, restrict the movement of. Cf. imprison, v. 1b, 2.

figurative. To fasten or bind by conditions or circumstances; to bind so as to detain.

transferred and figurative. To impose restraint upon; to confine, impede, restrain. Also with down.

transferred and figurative. To confine, shut up: in various connections, in which either the confining agent or cause, or the object confined, or…

To restrict in freedom of action.

figurative, now esp. with reference to the restriction of action of any kind.

transitive. To limit or restrict (a person). Obsolete. rare.

transferred and figurative.

figurative. To bind, restrain, or confine strictly; to restrict closely; to hinder from acting freely; to oblige to act in a particular way. (Cf. 5.)…

transitive. figurative. To constrain as with shackles; to limit, inhibit.

To narrow or restrict the freedom, power, or privileges of (a person). archaic.

transitive. To fasten together the legs of (a horse or other beast) to prevent it from straying; also transferred to fetter (a human being); = hobble…

transitive. To mew or coop up; to keep in restraint or confinement.

gen. To confine within narrow bounds, deprive of free scope; to limit, restrict, hedge in.

transitive. To shut up or confine within narrow and hampering bounds. (Mostly after Shakespeare.)

transitive. To shut up as in a crib or small compartment; to confine within a small space or narrow limits; to hamper. (In modern use generally as an…

figurative. To entangle or fasten up as in a trammel.

transitive. To fasten or shut up; to confine, enclose. Also figurative.

figurative. To restrict or confine within injuriously narrow limits (any action or operations).

figurative. To confine, restrain within narrow limits.

figurative. To shut up as in prison; to confine.

transitive. To render hidebound; to confine, constrict.

transitive and intransitive (for reflexive.) To lace tightly, confine.

transitive. To bind tightly; to constrain. Obsolete. rare.

(transitive) ‘to tie a band round the hough of a cow, or horse, to prevent it from straying’ (Jamieson); figurative to confine, put restraint upon…

with in.

figurative. transitive. Chiefly with down. To manoeuvre (a person) into a position where evasion is impossible; to force (a person) to be specific…

= strait waistcoat, n.

transitive. To fix or secure with a peg; to fasten with or as with a peg or pegs. Also with down.

In figurative phrases. to tie the hands of: to deprive of freedom of action. to tie the knot: to effect a union between two persons or things; esp.…

esp. in figurative use, to place restraints or controls on (something); to force into.