electric chair

/i'lektrik'tʃeə/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Noun:
    • An instrument of execution by electrocution; resembles an ordinary seat for one person: A device used for capital punishment, where a person is strapped into a chair and killed by a powerful electric current passed through the body.
Usage
  • The term "electric chair" is used to refer specifically to the execution device itself.
  • It is often used in legal, historical, and journalistic contexts when discussing the death penalty.
  • The phrase "to die in the chair" or "to get the chair" is a colloquial way of saying to be executed by electrocution.
Examples
  • Noun:
    • The state still uses the electric chair as a method of execution.
    • The convicted criminal was sentenced to death in the electric chair.
    • Historical debates often focus on the humanity of the electric chair.
Advanced Usage
  • "to get the chair": (idiomatic) to be sentenced to death by electrocution.
    • After the trial, the public wondered if he would get the chair.
  • "to die in the chair": to be executed via electrocution.
    • The murderer was sentenced to die in the chair.
Variants and Related Words
  • Electrocution (n): The act or process of executing or killing someone with electricity.
    • Electrocution was once a common form of capital punishment.
  • Execution chamber (n): The room where an execution, including by electric chair, takes place.
Synonyms
  • Death chair (n): Another term for the electric chair.
  • Hot seat (n): (slang) A term for the electric chair.
Related Phrases
  • "Old Sparky": (slang, historical) A nickname given to specific electric chairs in some U.S. states.
    • The prison museum had "Old Sparky" on display.
Idioms
  • "to be in the hot seat": (idiomatic) To be in a position of intense scrutiny or pressure. (Note: This idiom derives from the slang for the electric chair but is commonly used in non-lethal contexts).
    • The CEO was in the hot seat during the press conference about the scandal.
Noun
  1. an instrument of execution by electrocution; resembles an ordinary seat for one person
    • the murderer was sentenced to die in the chair

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