Definition

Noun: 1. A structure used for execution by hanging: A gallows is a wooden framework, typically consisting of two upright posts and a crossbeam, from which a rope noose is suspended for the purpose of hanging a condemned person as a form of capital punishment. 2. (By extension) The punishment of death by hanging: The term can also refer to the method or fate of execution itself.

Usage

The word "gallows" is typically used with a singular verb, even though its form ends in "-s". It is most commonly used in historical, legal, or literary contexts to describe the apparatus or the act of execution.

Examples

• The old prison museum still has the original gallows on display.
• The judge sentenced the pirate to the gallows.
• In the 18th century, the gallows was a common sight in public squares.

Advanced Usage

• Gallows humor: A type of humor that arises from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations; grim and ironic jokes about very serious matters.
  • The firefighters often used gallows humor to cope with the stress of their dangerous job.
• To have/cheat the gallows: To escape execution by hanging.
  • The outlaw managed to cheat the gallows by fleeing the country.

Variants and Related Words

• Gallows bird (noun, archaic): A person considered deserving of or likely to meet death by hanging.
• Gallows tree (noun): Another term for gallows, sometimes specifically one made from a tree.

Synonyms

• Gibbet
• Scaffold
• Hanging post

Idioms and Phrases

• A gallows look: An expression or appearance that suggests a person is wicked or deserves a grim fate.
  • The villain in the story was described as having a gallows look about him.

Noun

1. an instrument of execution consisting of a wooden frame from which a condemned person is executed by hanging