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definitions

peculiar institution

noun

black slavery in the southern U.S. before the Civil War.

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Nearby words

  1. pectus excavatum,
  2. pectus recurvatum,
  3. peculate,
  4. peculation,
  5. peculiar,
  6. peculiar people,
  7. peculiarity,
  8. peculiarize,
  9. peculium,
  10. pecuniary

Origin of peculiar institution

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019