What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
Definition of gibbet
1 : gallows 1a
2 : an upright post with a projecting arm for hanging the bodies of executed criminals as a warning
People Are Reading
Recent Examples of gibbet from the Web
-
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.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gibbet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of gibbet
Middle English gibet, from Anglo-French
2
gibbet
verb
gib·bet
Definition of gibbet
transitive verb
1a : to expose to infamy or public scornb : to hang on a gibbet
2 : to execute by hanging on a gibbet
First Known Use of gibbet
1646
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up gibbet? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!