lynch
[ linch ]
/ lɪntʃ /
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verb (used with object)
to put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority: In the 19th and 20th centuries, thousands of southern African Americans were lynched by white mobs.
to criticize, condemn, etc., in public: He’s been unfairly lynched in the media.
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Origin of lynch
An Americanism first recorded in 1825–35; verb use of lynch in lynch law
synonym study for lynch
See hang.
OTHER WORDS FROM lynch
lynch·er, nounan·ti·lynch·ing, adjectiveOther definitions for lynch (2 of 2)
Lynch
[ linch ]
/ lɪntʃ /
noun
John "Jack", 1917–1999, Irish political leader: prime minister 1966–73, 1977–79.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use lynch in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for lynch (1 of 2)
lynch
/ (lɪntʃ) /
verb
(tr) (of a mob) to punish (a person) for some supposed offence by hanging without a trial
Derived forms of lynch
lyncher, nounlynching, nounWord Origin for lynch
probably after Charles Lynch (1736–96), Virginia justice of the peace, who presided over extralegal trials of Tories during the American War of Independence
British Dictionary definitions for lynch (2 of 2)
Lynch
/ (lɪntʃ) /
noun
David. born 1946, US film director; his work includes the films Eraserhead (1977), Blue Velvet (1986), Wild at Heart (1990), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006), and the television series Twin Peaks (1990)
John, known as Jack Lynch. 1917–99, Irish statesman; prime minister of the Republic of Ireland (1966–73; 1977–79)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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