ducking stool

American  

noun

1. a former instrument of punishment consisting of a chair in which an offender was tied to be plunged into water.

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ducking stool British  

noun

1. history a chair or stool used for the punishment of offenders by plunging them into water

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Etymology

Origin of ducking stool

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

The discovery that Proudman has commented on people’s appearances, though in nonprofessional contexts, has rightly brought calls for the ducking stool, and hopefully ushers in an era where Nigel “What’s wrong with being sexy?”

From The Guardian • Sep. 11, 2015

If an old New England town-crier cried false reports, he would be placed in a ducking stool, soused again and again to the applause of those whom he had gulled.

From Time Magazine Archive

For such split-second cooling, Luyet and his associates built a kind of miniature ducking stool.

From Time Magazine Archive

The tradition is as old as the colonies and, some say, retains about as much relevance as a ducking stool.

From Time Magazine Archive

Such characters were also taken to the ducking stool and thoroughly doused in the water.

From Women of England by James, Bartlett Burleigh