word of the day: trammel

The word of the day is trammel:

Etymology:  In sense 1, < Old French tramail (c1220 in Godefroy Compl.), modern French trémail a fishing- or fowling-net, with three layers of meshes, = Italian tramaglio, Spanish trasmallo, Portuguese trasmalho < late popular Latin tramaculum for tri-, tremaculum (in Salic Law, Hessels, Cod. 1, xxvii. 20, tremaclem, v.rr. tremalem, tremagilo, tramaculam, trimaclem, tremagolum, tremachlum, etc.) a kind of fishing-net, generally explained as < Latin tri- three + macula mesh. In the Romanic languages the prefix appears to have been taken as = tra-, Latin trans.

 

I.  1.a. A long narrow fishing-net, set vertically with floats and sinkers; consisting of two ‘walls’ of large-meshed netting, between which is a net of fine mesh, loosely hung. More fully trammel-net n.The fish enters through the large mesh on one side, drives the fine netting through the large mesh on the other, and is thus trapped in a pocket or bag of the fine netting. Also sometimes applied to other kinds of fishing nets.

 b. A fowling-net; = trammel-net n. b. 

II.  2. A hobble to prevent a horse from straying or kicking; also, a contrivance for teaching a horse to amble, consisting of lines and straps connecting the fore and hind feet on each side, with a strap over the back to which both lines were fastened for support. Obs. 

3. transf. and fig. Anything that hinders or impedes free action; anything that confines, restrains, fetters, or shackles. Chiefly pl. 

4. Mech. An instrument for describing ellipses (French compas à ellipse), consisting of a cross with two grooves at right angles, in which slide pins carrying a beam or ruler with a pencil; also applied to the beam-compass (beam-compass n. at beam n.¹ Compounds 2). Also pl. 

So called because the motion of the beam carrying the pencil is trammelled or confined by the restriction of the pins to the grooves.

 III.  5. A series of rings or links, or other device, to bear a crook at different heights over the fire; the whole being suspended from a transverse bar (the crook-tree), built in the chimney, or from a small crane or gallows, the vertical member of which turns in sockets in the jamb and lintel. Now local Eng. and U.S. 

IV.  6. pl. The plaits, braids, or tresses of a woman's hair; in quot. 1594   with play on sense 1.  (OED)

"The mighty difference engine and its cogitating cogs has unleashed the hitherto dormant power of the mathematical algorithm, and the glorious kingdom of Great Britain thus becomes every day more rational and freer of error!

"The inventive faculties of the scientific classes fling off their trammels, filling the skies with airships!"

 - Sydney Padua, "User Experience"