gallows
gallows Lexical Profile
gallows Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A wooden frame, typically consisting of two upright posts and a crossbeam, from which a rope and noose are suspended for the execution of condemned prisoners by hanging.
"The historical museum preserved the old wooden gallows in the courtyard as a somber reminder of nineteenth-century penal practices."
Execution by hanging as a legal punishment (usually preceded by 'the').
"Under the harsh legal code of the era, even minor offenses could send a defendant to the gallows."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although ending in '-s' and historically a plural form, 'gallows' is routinely construed as a singular noun taking the article 'a' and singular verbs (e.g., 'a gallows was erected'), though plural verb agreement also occurs.
• Rhymes for gallows
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'galwes', the plural of 'galwe', derived from Old English 'gealga' ('gallows, cross, pole'), of Proto-Germanic origin; originally plural because the structure consisted of two upright posts supporting a crossbeam.