1 gibbet | Definition of gibbet
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gibbet

noun
gib·​bet | \ ˈji-bÉ™t How to pronounce gibbet (audio) \

Definition of gibbet

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : gallows sense 1a
2 : an upright post with a projecting arm for hanging the bodies of executed criminals as a warning

gibbet

verb
gibbeted; gibbeting; gibbets

Definition of gibbet (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

 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, "On Evil May Day, Londoners Rioted Over Foreigners Stealing Their Jobs," 1 May 2017

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.

First Known Use of gibbet

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for gibbet

Noun

Middle English gibet, from Anglo-French

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