gallows tree

American  

Or gallow tree

noun

1. a gallows.

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gallows tree British  

noun

1. another name for gallows

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Etymology

Origin of gallows tree

before 900; Middle English galwe tree, Old English galgtrēow, equivalent to galg ( a ) gallows + trēow tree

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gallows tree

And the men sing, On Mountjoy one Monday morning High upon the gallows tree, Kevin Barry gave his young life For the cause of liberty.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Well, the mobs have broke in and tore down the fences, and snapped off the branches, and scattered all the leaves about, and it looks no better than a gallows tree.

From The Clockmaker Or, the Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick, of Slickville by Haliburton, Thomas Chandler

Sae rantingly, sae wantonly, jovially Sae dauntingly gaed he; He played a spring and danced it round, lively tune Below the gallows tree.

From Robert Burns How To Know Him by Neilson, William Allan

But these were the days when no man awaked without having the possibility of either a knighthood or the gallows tree to encourage him to do his duty between dawn and dark.

From The Black Douglas by Richards, Frank

This man was ragged beyond all that moving rag-heap; he was as gaunt as a gallows tree, and the thing he was uttering with arms held up to heaven was evidently a curse.

From The New Jerusalem by Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)