pillory

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pillory

verb accuse, asperse, attaint, befoul, belittle, berate, besmear, besmirch, bespatter, blacken, blot, brand, bring shame upon, calumniate, cast a slur upon, cast asperrions on, cause a scandal, damage a reputation, debase, defame, defile, degrade, denigrate, denounce, destroy a reputation, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, expose to infamy, gibbet, give a bad name, hold up to ridicule, hold up to shame, impute shame to, lampoon, laugh at, lower, make fun of, malign, mock, put in a bad light, put to shame, ridicule, run down, scandalize, scorn, smear, smirch, soil, spatter, speak ill of, stain, stigmatize, sully, taint, tarnish, traduce, vilify, vituperate

PILLORY, punishment. wooden machine in which the neck of the culprit is inserted.
2. This punishment has been superseded by the adoption of the penitentiary system in most of the states. Vide 1 Chit. Cr. Law, 797. The punishment of standing in the pillory, so far as the same was provided by the laws of the United States, was abolished by the act of congress of February 27, 1839, s. 5. See Baxr. on the Stat. 48, note.

References in periodicals archive ?

That pillory would have some tales to tell, if only we could hear it speak.

Petty criminals given a stock punishment; Chris Upton looks back at an age when townsfolk were invited to throw rotten eggs and fruit at offenders

While in Newgate Prison, in anticipation of his ordeal in the pillory, Defoe composed A Hymn to the Pillory, a satiric panegyric to the "Hi'roglyphick State Machin" in which he would soon stand punishment.

Defoe's poetic reformation: from poem to novel, from pillory to penitentiary

In science's version of an old-fashioned pillory, seven independent teams assailed the hypothesis that thousands of house-size snowballs plow into Earth's atmosphere each day.

Small comet theory melts under scrutiny

did not, in fact, haul miscreants up before congressional committees," he writes, "fire or flunk non-conformists, pillory them in the press or take their passports away." But Gitlin's attack on the anti-P.C.

The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America is Wracked by Culture Wars

Her husband, an old physician who had remained in Europe, arrives in America to see her on the pillory. Assuming the name of Roger Chillingworth, he seeks revenge.

Scarlet Letter, The

1837: A British Act of Parliament abolished punishment by pillory. 1859: The great tightrope walker Blondin crossed Niagara Falls from the US to Canada in just eight minutes.

On this day

Are they so devoid of imagination they must trawl through the trash and pillory people who have trouble enough already, as well as two innocent children ( one as yet unborn?

Denise Robertson column

The book, compiled by Coleshill Civic Society following sponsorship from the Local Heritage Initiative, focuses on the role of Coleshill as a coaching town, its 22 inns, workhouse, market place and pillory. Dr Carl Chinn will launch it.

Coleshill's history revealed

Pleading guilty, as technically he was, and appealing for mercy on the ground that he had not meant to be taken seriously, he was sentenced to stand three times in the pillory, pay a stiff fine and remain in prison until he could provide sureties for his good behaviour for seven years.

Daniel Defoe put in the pillory: July 29th/31st 1703. (Months Past)

Well-fed sports pundits, probably miles away from the action, who have access to replays from different cameras, slow motion etc, and decide to make it controversial and pillory the referee's decision - which had been made immediately.

Sports letters: Word play

Let's not pillory Jo Moore for doing her job too well.

Points; LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Coleshill town councillor Barry Gascoigne has spent months restoring the 18ft high pillory and whipping post that is attached to the outside wall of the Old Market Hall.

My stock answer to those young tearaways!; RESTORED AND READY FOR USE ... THANKS TO FUNERAL DIRECTOR BARRY

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