pillory

pil·lo·ry

P p

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [pil-uh-ree]
- /ˈpɪl ə ri/
- /ˈpɪl.ər.i/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [pil-uh-ree]
- /ˈpɪl ə ri/

Definitions of pillory word

noun plural pillory a wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision. 1
verb with object pillory to set in the pillory. 1
verb with object pillory to expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse: The candidate mercilessly pilloried his opponent. 1
noun pillory public punishment: stocks 1
transitive verb pillory hold up to ridicule 1
verb pillory If someone is pilloried, a lot of people, especially journalists, criticize them and make them look stupid. 0

See all 15 definitions of pillory

Information block about the term

Origin of pillory

First appearance:

before 1225

One of the 9% oldest English words

1225-75; Middle English pyllory < Old French pilori, perhaps < Medieval Latin pīlōrium, equivalent to Latin pīl(a) pillar (see pile1) + -ōrium -ory2, though Romance variants such as Provençal espillori suggest a less transparent source

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Pillory

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Pillory

pillory popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 80% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

pillory usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for pillory

verb pillory

flay — to strip off the skin or outer covering of.

Just one Synonym for pillory