noun, masculine/kaʁ.kɑ̃/plural: carcans
yoke, shackles; straitjacket
“J'en ai assez de ce carcan qui m'enferme dans toutes ses règles / Il me dit de rester dans la norme, mais l'on finit par s'y ennuyer” — I've had enough of this straitjacket that hems me in with all its rules / It tells me to stay within the norm, but if you do that you end up bored
Borrowed from Medieval Latin carcanum (“collar”), the etymology of which is unknown.