Gibbeted

/ˈɡɪbətɪd/ adjective, verb

Definition

Hanged on a gibbet; executed and displayed as a warning; or the past tense of 'gibbet' used as a verb.

Etymology

From the verb form of 'gibbet,' adding the past-tense suffix '-ed.' Became common in English historical texts describing judicial punishments.

Kelly Says

In English legal records, famous criminals were 'gibbeted in chains' for years after death—their bodies would decay while still hanging as a permanent scarecrow for crime, which is why 'gibbet' became synonymous with shame and infamy.

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