1. plural of handbrake; brakes on a vehicle operated by hand, typically using a lever or pedal
Usage: commonly used in British English; in American English, often called 'parking brake' or 'emergency brake'

Examples

• Always engage the handbrakes before leaving your car parked on a hill.
• The driver pulled the handbrakes to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward.
• Modern cars often have electronic handbrakes instead of manual levers.
• She checked that the handbrakes were fully released before driving away.
• The handbrakes on the old truck required considerable force to operate.