gallows

American  

[gal-ohz, -uhz] / ˈgæl oʊz, -əz /

noun

plural

gallowses, gallows

1. a wooden frame, consisting of a crossbeam on two uprights, on which condemned persons are executed by hanging.

2. a similar structure from which something is suspended.

3. execution by hanging.

   a crime deserving of the gallows.

4. Also called gallows bitts.  Nautical. a support on the deck of a vessel, generally one of two or more, consisting of a crosspiece on two uprights, for spars, boats, etc.

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gallows British  

/ ˈɡæləʊz /

noun

1. a wooden structure usually consisting of two upright posts with a crossbeam from which a rope is suspended, used for hanging criminals

2. any timber structure resembling this, such as (in Australia and New Zealand) a frame for hoisting up the bodies of slaughtered cattle

3. execution by hanging

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Etymology

Origin of gallows

before 900; Middle English galwes, Old English g ( e ) algan, plural of g ( e ) alga gallows; cognate with German Galgen

Example Sentences

Ralph Waldo Emerson declared that Brown would “make the gallows as glorious as the cross.”

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

As Ralph Waldo Emerson saw it, Brown’s death on the scaffold turned him into a “new Saint awaiting his martyrdom, and who, if he shall suffer, will make the gallows glorious like the cross.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

Newsrooms being breeding grounds for gallows humor, most also understand that futility is a terrific comedy catalyst.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2025

Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnes Callamard said the "tide is turning" on capital punishment, adding that "it is only a matter of time until the world is free from the shadow of the gallows".

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

I noted as another example of gallows humor that Billie had put out black guest towels and a washcloth for me.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin