straitjacket
noun /ˈstreɪtdʒækɪt/
/ˈstreɪtdʒækɪt/
(also straightjacket)
- a piece of clothing like a jacket with long arms which are tied to prevent the person wearing it from behaving violently. Straitjackets are sometimes used to control people who are mentally ill.
- (disapproving) a thing that stops something from growing or developing
- The government has been caught in the straitjacket of debt.