Electrocute

/ɪˈlɛktɹəˌkjut/ verb

Definition

To execute someone using electric current; to injure or kill with a severe electric shock.

Etymology

A blend word from 'electricity' and 'execute,' coined in the 1880s when electric chairs were introduced as execution methods. It's a portmanteau that became a standard word.

Kelly Says

The word was literally invented for the electric chair, which was supposed to be a more 'humane' execution method than hanging—but it often went wrong horrifically, showing how new technology doesn't always improve morality!

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