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

For local establishments, the newly offered specials are part gallows humor, part business gamble.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

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

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2025

“I meant it as a bit of gallows humor, but he answered by essentially saying, Actually, sort of,” Gluck, a journalist, writes in his forthcoming memoir, An Exercise in Uncertainty.

From Slate • May 2, 2025

The last woman believed to have been executed in England for witchcraft may have avoided the gallows, according to new research.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2024

He sawed off a good chunk from a carcass hanging on the gallows, causing the swarm of black flies to circle once, then land again.

From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba