Literary or formal term for physical restraints such as handcuffs or leg-irons, and by extension for anything that binds or restricts freedom. Often used metaphorically in written Japanese.
The prisoner was transported in fetters.
They broke free from the shackles of tradition and sought new forms of expression.
From Chinese 桎梏 (zhìgù), originally referring to wooden shackles for the feet (桎) and hands (梏). The Japanese reading しっこく is the kan'on pronunciation.