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Ball and chain

noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner's leg by a chain as a means of restraint.

    "Well, I got one foot on the platform / The other foot on the train / I'm goin' back to New Orleans / To wear that ball and chain"

  2. 2
    heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner by a chain wordnet
  3. 3
    One's wife, as a symbol of restraint. derogatory, slang
  4. 4
    Anything that restricts one's freedom or opportunities. figuratively

    "Their business model of the 1920s and 1930s, which had catapulted the business to undreamt-of heights, had then turned into something of a ball and chain."

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