A fetter is a chain or shackle fastened around a prisoner's ankles to prevent escape. In medieval dungeons and old prison ships, guards would lock heavy iron fetters on prisoners to keep them from running away. The metal rings would clank as the prisoner shuffled along, unable to take full steps.

Today we use it more often as a verb or in its plural form. When something fetters you, it holds you back or restricts your freedom. A talented artist might feel fettered by strict rules that don't allow creativity. Unnecessary regulations can fetter a business, preventing it from trying new ideas.

People often talk about breaking free from fetters, whether literal chains or the invisible limitations that hold them back. A student with dyslexia who struggles to read using traditional methods but discovers audiobooks might say she's thrown off the fetters holding back her learning. The word carries a sense of something holding you down that shouldn't be there, and something worth working to remove.