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pillory

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
pil·lo·ry  (pl-r)
n. pl. pil·lo·ries
A wooden framework on a post, with holes for the head and hands, in which offenders were formerly locked to be exposed to public scorn as punishment.
tr.v. pil·lo·ried, pil·lo·ry·ing, pil·lo·ries
1. To expose to ridicule and abuse.
2. To put in a pillory as punishment.

[Middle English, from Old French pilori, probably from Latin pla, pillar.]

pillory [ˈpɪlərɪ]
n pl -ries
1. (Historical Terms) a wooden framework into which offenders were formerly locked by the neck and wrists and exposed to public abuse and ridicule
2. exposure to public scorn or abuse
vb -ries, -rying, -ried (tr)
1. to expose to public scorn or ridicule
2. (Historical Terms) to punish by putting in a pillory
[from Anglo-Latin pillorium, from Old French pilori, of uncertain origin; related to Provençal espillori]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.pillory - 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
instrument of punishment - an instrument designed and used to punish a condemned person
Verb1.pillory - expose to ridicule or public scorn
display, exhibit, expose - to show, make visible or apparent; "The Metropolitan Museum is exhibiting Goya's works this month"; "Why don't you show your nice legs and wear shorter skirts?"; "National leaders will have to display the highest skills of statesmanship"
2.pillory - punish by putting in a pillory
penalise, penalize, punish - impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on; "The students were penalized for showing up late for class"; "we had to punish the dog for soiling the floor again"
3.pillory - criticize harshly or violently; "The press savaged the new President"; "The critics crucified the author for plagiarizing a famous passage"
criticise, criticize, pick apart, knock - find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws; "The paper criticized the new movie"; "Don't knock the food--it's free"

pillory
verb ridicule, denounce, stigmatize, brand, lash, show someone up, expose someone to ridicule, cast a slur on, heap or pour scorn on, hold someone up to shame He resigned after being pilloried by the press.
Translations
pillory [ˈpɪlərɪ]
A. Npicota f
pillory [ˈpɪləri]
npilori m
vt (= ridicule) → clouer au pilori
pillory
n (Hist) → Pranger m; to be in the pilloryam Pranger stehen
vt (fig)anprangern
pillory [ˈpɪlərɪ]
1. nberlina
2. vt (fig) → mettere alla berlina

pillory [ˈpɪlərɪ]
1. nberlina
2. vt (fig) → mettere alla berlina


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Be that as it might, the scaffold of the pillory was a point of view that revealed to Hester Prynne the entire track along which she had been treading, since her happy infancy.
At one corner of the meeting-house was the pillory, and at the other the stocks; and, by a singular good fortune for our sketch, the head of an Episcopalian and suspected Catholic was grotesquely incased in the former machine while a fellow-criminal, who had boisterously quaffed a health to the king, was confined by the legs in the latter.
A sedition also arose at Heraclea, from a certain person being condemned by the court; and at Thebes, in consequence of a man's being guilty of adultery; [1306b] the punishment indeed which Eurytion suffered at Heraclea was just, yet it was illegally executed: as was that at Thebes upon Archias; for their enemies endeavoured to have them publicly bound in the pillory.
 
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