Definition

1. Noun:
   • A historical instrument of punishment: A "cucking stool" was a chair or stool used in medieval and early modern Europe to publicly punish and humiliate certain offenders, particularly dishonest traders, scolds, or disorderly women. The offender was often paraded through town and then tied to the chair, which was sometimes mounted on a pole or placed on a cart, to be subjected to public ridicule, pelted with refuse, or ducked into water.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The dishonest baker was sentenced to the cucking stool for selling underweight loaves.
  • Historical records from the 16th century mention the use of a cucking stool for punishing scolds.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Legal Context: The term is used almost exclusively in historical or academic discussions about medieval and early modern penal systems.
  • The town's charter permitted the use of a cucking stool for punishing brewers who sold bad ale.

Variants and Related Words

• Ducking stool: A closely related term, often used interchangeably with "cucking stool," though some historical sources distinguish it as a stool specifically designed for ducking (immersing) the offender in water.
  • The village still has the old ducking stool on display near the pond.

Synonyms

• Pillory (n): A wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, used for public punishment and ridicule.
• Stocks (n): A wooden framework with holes for the ankles (and sometimes the wrists), used for public punishment.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• To be brought to the cucking stool: An archaic phrase meaning to be subjected to public humiliation or punishment.
  • In the play, the character fears she will be brought to the cucking stool for her gossip.

Noun

1. an instrument of punishment consisting of a chair in which offenders were ducked in water