electric chair

noun

Definition of electric chair

1 : a chair used in legal electrocution

2 : the penalty of death by electrocution

Examples of electric chair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Edmund Zagorski was executed last week, the first man to die in Tennessee’s electric chair in a decade. — Jacob Gershman, WSJ, "Tennessee Death-Row Inmates Demand Execution by Firing Squad," 6 Nov. 2018 Tennessee gives death-row inmates the option of the electric chair. — Jacob Gershman, WSJ, "Tennessee Death-Row Inmates Demand Execution by Firing Squad," 6 Nov. 2018 Henry said some people will see the choice as a stall tactic, but Zagorski cannot legally challenge the use of the electric chair after choosing to die by that method. — Travis Loller, The Seattle Times, "Lawyer: Inmate’s choice of electric chair won’t buy him time," 9 Oct. 2018 Tennessee allows the use of the electric chair while Utah has passed a law allowing death by firing squad if the state is unable to obtain the proper drugs. — Willie James Inman, Fox News, "Future of lethal injection in doubt as critics, drug makers rebel against it," 31 July 2018 Hanging was the most common method of execution in the United States in the 1800s before widespread adoption of the electric chair. — Kristine Phillips, Washington Post, "Trump reportedly praised Singapore for executing drug dealers. Here’s how they’re killed.," 1 Mar. 2018 Moore was the first inmate to be lethally injected in Nebraska, which carried out its last execution in 1997 using the electric chair. — Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, "Nebraska uses fentanyl for first time in execution," 14 Aug. 2018 People put to death via the electric chair often suffered graphic burns, while those who were put into gas chambers visibly choked to death. — Abdullah Shihipar, Teen Vogue, "Lethal Injection Drugs and the Death Penalty, Explained," 30 Oct. 2018 Mortality was a perennial preoccupation, echoed in images of skulls, suicides and electric chairs. — Brenda Cronin, WSJ, "Warhol Takes New York, Again," 26 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electric chair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.