| 1. | a heavy iron ball fastened by a chain to a prisoner's leg. |
| 2. | burdensome restraint: The steady accumulation of small debts was a ball and chain to his progress. |
| 3. | Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a man's wife (often used facetiously). |
ball and chain
A burden and restraint, as in Karen regarded her job as a ball and chain, but she needed the money. The term, dating from the early 1800s, alludes to chaining a heavy iron ball to a prisoner's leg. Later it was transferred to other kinds of restraining burden.