garrote

Or ga·rote,

[guh-rot, -roht]

noun

1. a method of capital punishment of Spanish origin in which an iron collar is tightened around a condemned person's neck until death occurs by strangulation or by injury to the spinal column at the base of the brain.

2. the collarlike instrument used for this method of execution.

3. strangulation or throttling, especially in the course of a robbery.

4. an instrument, usually a cord or wire with handles attached at the ends, used for strangling a victim.

verb (used with object)

garroted, garroting 

1. to execute by the garrote.

2. to strangle or throttle, especially in the course of a robbery.

Other Word Forms

• garroter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of garrote¹

1615–25; < Spanish garrote or French garrot packing-stick < ?

Example Sentences

Malkovich’s performance is like the garrote used to kill in the film — he applies the right pressure to the right part.

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“I knew that would get your attention,” Frankie said, his voice as tight as a garrote.

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He rips the phone cord out of Marion's wall and wraps it around his hands like a garrote when she threatens to activate her Life Alert button.

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She was killed by a blow to the head and had been strangled with a garrote.

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He had been staging a performance in which he planned to sit in a garrote during the congress to denounce repression.

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Related Words

• assassinate 
• drown 
• execute 
• get 
• hit 
• massacre 
• murder 
• poison 
• slaughter 
• slay 
• wipe out 

When To Use

What does garrote mean?

The garrote was a Spanish execution device used to kill someone by strangulation or damage to the spinal cord. Garrote is used to mean strangulation in general or a weapon a person would use to strangle someone.The execution method known as the garrote involved tightening an iron collar around a person’s neck until they died. Garrote is also used for the name of the actual device used as part of this type of execution.Today, the word garrote refers to a weapon used for strangulation, as in Police found a knife and a garrote at the suspect’s home. A garrote usually takes the form of a length of wire with handles on the ends.As a verb, garrote is used to mean to kill someone with a garrote or to strangle or throttle someone in general, as in The coroner had determined that the man had been garroted with piano wire.  A person who strangles or kills someone with a garrote is known as a garroter.Garrote can also be spelled garrotte or garote.Example: Mr. Green had determined that the victim was strangled by Prof. Plum with a garrote.