Adjacent Words

Pillory definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PIL'LORY, n. [L. palus, a stake, a pile.] A frame of wood erected on posts, with movable boards and holes, through which are put the head and hands of a criminal for punishment.
PIL'LORY, v.t. To punish with the pillory.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for the wrists and neck; offenders were locked in and so exposed to public scorn v
1: expose to ridicule or public scorn [syn: pillory, gibbet]
2: punish by putting in a pillory
3: criticize harshly or violently; "The press savaged the new President"; "The critics crucified the author for plagiarizing a famous passage" [syn: savage, blast, pillory, crucify]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural -ries) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French pilori Date: 13th century 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 II. transitive verb (-ried; -rying) Date: circa 1600 1. to set in a pillory as punishment 2. to expose to public contempt, ridicule, or scorn

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. (pl. -ies) hist. a wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, enabling the public to assault or ridicule a person so imprisoned. --v.tr. (-ies, -ied) 1 expose (a person) to ridicule or public contempt. 2 hist. put in the pillory. Etymology: ME f. AL pillorium f. OF pilori etc.: prob. f. Prov. espilori of uncert. orig.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pillory Pil"lo*ry, n.; pl. Pillories. [F. pilori; cf. Pr. espitlori, LL. piloricum, pilloricum, pellericum, pellorium, pilorium, spilorium; perhaps from a derivative of L. speculari to look around, observe. Cf. Speculate.] A frame of adjustable boards erected on a post, and having holes through which the head and hands of an offender were thrust so as to be exposed in front of it. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pillory Pil"lo*ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pilloried; p. pr. & vb. n. Pillorying.] [Cf. F. pilorier.] 1. To set in, or punish with, the pillory. ``Hungering for Puritans to pillory.'' --Macaulay. 2. Figuratively, to expose to public scorn. --Gladstone.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pillories, pillorying, pilloried) If someone is pilloried, a lot of people, especially journalists, criticize them and make them look stupid. A man has been forced to resign as a result of being pilloried by some of the press. = ridicule VERB: usu passive, be V-ed

Moby Thesaurus

Oregon boat, attaint, bespatter, bilbo, blacken, blot, blow upon, bond, bonds, brand, branks, bridle, bring into discredit, bring low, bring shame upon, bring to account, bring to book, call to account, camisole, cast reproach upon, castigate, censure, chains, chasten, chastise, collar, correct, crank, cucking stool, cuffs, deal with, debase, defame, defile, defrock, degrade, deplume, deride, disapprove, discipline, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, displume, ducking stool, expose, expose to infamy, fetter, finger pillory, gag, gibbet, grin at, gyves, halter, hamper, handcuffs, hang in effigy, hobbles, hold in derision, hopples, humiliate, impute shame to, inflict upon, irons, laugh at, laugh to scorn, leading strings, leash, make fun of, make game of, make merry with, manacle, masthead, muzzle, pan, penalize, point at, poke fun at, punish, put one on, put to shame, rag, razz, reflect discredit upon, reins, reprimand, reproach, restraint, restraints, ride, ridicule, roast, settle with, shackle, shame, slur, smear, smile at, snicker at, snigger at, soil, square accounts, stain, stigmatize, stocks, straightjacket, strait-waistcoat, straitjacket, stranglehold, sully, taint, take to task, tarnish, tether, trammel, trammels, treadmill, trebuchet, triangle, triangles, unfrock, vilify, visit upon, whipping post, wooden horse, yoke