pillory

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English pyllory, from Old French pilori, perhaps from Medieval Latin pīlōrium, equivalent to Latin pīl(a) “pillar” (see pile¹) + -ōrium noun suffix (see -ory²), though Romance variants such as Provençal espillori suggest a less transparent source

OTHER WORDS FROM pillory

un·pil·lo·ried, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pillory

pillar, pillory , pillow

Words nearby pillory

pillhead, pillie, pillion, pilliwinks, pillock, pillory, pillow, pillow block, pillowcase, pillow fight, pillow lace

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use pillory in a sentence

Compare the British pillory of Tebbit with the reaction in India to the Kashmiri students.
India Row Evokes Cricket’s Ultranationalist Tebbit Test|Tunku Varadarajan|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Rails” and “lacerate,” two other words swiftly elected for pillory, were classic Tejpal, overblown, mannered, theatrical.
The Fall of India’s Conscience|Tunku Varadarajan|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And because the pillory of a bad book is as culturally stimulating as the lauding of a good book.
Letter to a Young Critic: William Giraldi Defends True Criticism|William Giraldi|September 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It may be gratifying to discover such an example, in favor of the pillory!
The History of Tasmania , Volume II (of 2)|John West

When were the last known instances of bull-baiting and cock-fighting in Worcester, and when was the pillory last used?
Notes and Queries for Worcestershire|John Noake
East Looe boasts a further relic of its past in the ancient pillory preserved at the porch of its town hall.
The Cornwall Coast|Arthur L. Salmon
In place of such we have an interesting memorial of Looe's former use of the "cage," a companion instrument to the pillory.
The Cornwall Coast|Arthur L. Salmon
He was fined five hundred pounds and placed in the pillory; the Chief Justice wished that he might be also whipped.
The Trial of Theodore Parker|Theodore Parker

British Dictionary definitions for pillory

pillory

/ (ˈpɪlərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

a wooden framework into which offenders were formerly locked by the neck and wrists and exposed to public abuse and ridicule

exposure to public scorn or abuse

verb -ries, -rying or -ried (tr)

to expose to public scorn or ridicule

to punish by putting in a pillory

Word Origin for pillory

C13: from Anglo-Latin pillorium, from Old French pilori, of uncertain origin; related to Provençal espillori

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012