electrocute
electrocute Lexical Profile
electrocute Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To injure or kill someone by passing a strong electric current through their body.
"Always turn off the main circuit breaker before repairing outlets so you do not accidentally electrocute yourself."
To execute a convicted criminal by means of electricity, typically using an electric chair.
"In the late nineteenth century, the state became the first jurisdiction to electrocute a condemned prisoner."
Word Nuance & Usage
Traditionally, "electrocute" strictly meant to kill by electric shock (especially as a form of capital punishment); in modern usage it frequently includes severe, non-fatal electrical injury, though formal medical and legal contexts still prefer "shock" when the victim survives.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in 1889 as a portmanteau blending "electro-" (from Ancient Greek elektron, meaning "amber") and "execute", originally referring to execution by the newly invented electric chair.