electric chair
Americannoun
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a chair used to electrocute criminals sentenced to death.
-
the penalty of legal electrocution.
noun
Etymology
Origin of electric chair
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“As soon as Dara and I walked into his house, the electric chair from ‘Female Trouble’ was right in front of us.
From Los Angeles Times
The state asked the Supreme Court to toss out a lower court ruling after a 2022 trial that the electric chair and the firing squad are cruel and unusual punishments.
From Seattle Times
There are the stories of the many lawyers and activists who fought to save Paula from the electric chair and end capital punishment for children.
From Washington Post
“My grandmother went to her deathbed knowing that her child went to the electric chair.”
From Seattle Times
Other states have reauthorized the use of electric chairs and gas chambers — or are at least considering doing so.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
