gibbet

1 of 2

noun

gib·​bet ˈji-bət 

1

: gallows sense 1a

2

: an upright post with a projecting arm for hanging the bodies of executed criminals as a warning

gibbet

2 of 2

verb

gibbeted; gibbeting; gibbets

transitive verb

1

a

: to expose to infamy or public scorn

b

: to hang on a gibbet

2

: to execute by hanging on a gibbet

Examples of gibbet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Once again there are gibbet cages and skull racks on display at Tyburn, but the medieval barbarity is compounded by entirely modern displays of wealth and power, their effects felt all the way up and down the social scale. —Tom Shippey, WSJ, 14 Jan. 2022

Over 1,000 angry citizens rampaged the city; within days, hundreds were arrested and more than a dozen were executed, their bodies displayed on gibbets. —Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 1 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gibet, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

gibbet

noun

gib·​bet

ˈjib-ət

: gallows sense 1