coventry
coventry Lexical Profile
• noun
A major city and metropolitan borough located in the West Midlands region of England, historically renowned for its ribbon weaving, motor industry, and the destruction of its medieval cathedral during World War II.
"After the devastating air raids in 1940, Coventry erected a striking modern cathedral directly alongside the ruins of the original structure."
British A state of banishment, complete ostracism, or social exclusion from a group.
"For violating the unspoken rules of the union, he was effectively sent to Coventry by his colleagues and faced weeks of silence."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an abstract noun, it is almost exclusively used in the British idiom 'to send (someone) to Coventry', meaning to deliberately ostracize them or refuse to speak to them.
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Old English 'Cofantreo', meaning 'Cofa's tree'. The phrase 'send to Coventry' likely originated during the English Civil War, when Parliamentarians from Birmingham sent Royalist prisoners to Coventry, which was a heavily fortified Parliamentarian stronghold where they were isolated and ignored.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.