straitjacket Meaning, Definition & Usage

1. noun anything immaterial that severely hinders or confines
   
   • they defected because Russian dance was in a straitjacket
   • the government is operating in an economic straitjacket
2. noun a garment similar to a jacket that is used to bind the arms tightly against the body as a means of restraining a violent person
   straightjacket.
   

WordNet