A "trammel-net" is a kind of fishing net in which fish are trapped in pockets of the net as they attempt to swim through; some kinds of nets for catching birds are called "trammels" as well.

Most relevant, perhaps, and vivid is that between the 16th and 18th centuries, a trammel was a kind of hobble used on a horse that tied its legs together and controlled its gait. If the horse ran too fast or took steps that were too large or tried to jump, it fell down.

The word was also used in a general sense to mean something like limitations, anything that would inhibit free action. It was also used to describe braids, plaits, or tresses of women's hair -- that is, hair that had been netted or bound and did not fall or fly free.

This definition is based on the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, which requires a little explanation.

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