pillory

[ pil-uh-ree ]

/ ˈpɪl ə ri /

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noun, plural pil·lo·ries.

a wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision.

verb (used with object), pil·lo·ried, pil·lo·ry·ing.

to set in the pillory.

to expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse: The candidate mercilessly pilloried his opponent.

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Origin of 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