pillory

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noun pil·lo·ry \ˈpi-lə-rē, ˈpil-rē\

Definition of pillory

plural

pillories

1 : a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked
2 : a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule

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pillory was our Word of the Day on 09/02/2007. Hear the podcast!

Did You Know?

In days gone by, criminals who got caught might well have found themselves in the stocks (which held the feet or both feet and hands) or a pillory. Both of those forms of punishment - and the words that name them - have been around since the Middle Ages. We latched onto "pillory" from the Anglo-French pilori (which has the same meaning as our English term), but the exact origins of the French term are uncertain. For centuries, "pillory" referred only to the wooden frame used to hold a ne'er-do-well, but by the early 1600s, folks had turned the word into a verb for the act of putting someone in a pillory. Within a century, they had further expanded the verb to cover any process that led to as much public humiliation as being pilloried.

Illustration of pillory

Origin and Etymology of pillory

Middle English, from Anglo-French pilori

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First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

pillory

verb pil·lo·ry

Definition of pillory

pilloried

;

pillorying

transitive verb
1 : to set in a pillory as punishment
2 : to expose to public contempt, ridicule, or scorn

See pillory defined for English-language learners

Examples of pillory in a Sentence

The press pilloried the judge for her decision.

First Known Use of pillory

circa 1600

PILLORY Defined for English Language Learners

pillory

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noun

Definition of pillory for English Language Learners

: a device that was used in the past for punishing someone in public and that consists of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked