Definition

1. Noun:
   • A historical instrument of punishment: A "cangue" is a device that was formerly used in China to punish minor criminals. It consists of a large, heavy wooden board or collar that is locked around a person's neck and sometimes also encloses the wrists or arms.

Usage

• The "cangue" was used publicly to shame and immobilize the offender.
• It functions as a countable noun (e.g., , , ).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The petty thief was sentenced to wear the cangue in the market square for three days.
  • Museums sometimes display a cangue as an example of historical penal methods.

Advanced Usage

• "to be placed in the cangue": To be punished by being locked into the device.
  • The corrupt official was publicly disgraced and placed in the cangue.

Variants and Related Words

• Pillory (n): A similar Western instrument of punishment, consisting of a wooden framework with holes for the head and hands.
• Stocks (n): Another historical punishment device where the ankles (and sometimes wrists) were locked in a wooden frame.

Synonyms

• Pillory: A device for public punishment and ridicule.
• Shame collar: A descriptive, non-technical term.

Notes on Meaning

• The "cangue" is specifically associated with historical Chinese law and punishment. Its use emphasizes public humiliation and physical restriction rather than corporal punishment.

Noun

1. an instrument of punishment formerly used in China for petty criminals; consists of a heavy wooden collar enclosing the neck and arms