Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- An instrument formerly used in parts of England and Scotland for correcting scolding women; a scolding-bridle. It consisted of a headpiece inclosing the head of the offender, with a flat iron which entered the mouth and restrained the tongue.
- A sort of bridle for horses and cows. Instead of leather, it has on each side a piece of wood joined to a halter, to which a bit is sometimes added, but more frequently a wooden nose resembling a muzzle.
- The mumps.
Wiktionary
- n. a punishment device, especially for scolding women, consisting of a cage to enclose the head, with a metal gag for the mouth
Etymologies
- Origin uncertain; perhaps related to German Pranger, Dutch prang. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“The word branchs, (pronounced "branks") in prosobranchs, means 'gill'.”
“So, if I happen to say that branks monkey sagas have spilled onto the pavement alligators aware, just, you know, back away very slowly.”
“It was harnessed in the most simple manner, with a pair of branks, a hair tether, or halter, and a sunk, or cushion of straw, instead of bridle and saddle.”
“Adultery carried a death sentence, while lesser crimes could be punished by the likes of the branks.”
Fleshmarket Close
““Head cages” are far rarer and also more extreme: There are steel varieties that consist of strips welded together to form a cage in the shape of the head these metal cages are also known as “branks”.”
“As cheeks o 'branks. [sides of an ox's bridle]' Guid-een, 'quo' I; 'Friend! hae ye been mawin, [Good-evening, mowing]”
“There are some excellent drawings of branks, and full descriptions of their use, in Mr. Andrews's _Bygone Punishments_.”
“You may still see some fearsome branks in museums.”
“But we can still see our stocks on the village greens, our branks, ducking-stools, and pillories in museums, and remind ourselves of the customs of former days which have not so very long ago passed away.”
“They'll need to stand on a baikie that put the branks on him.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘branks’.
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Cattle
cattle, cow, beef, steer, heifer, calf, bull, cattle call, Black Angus, Hereford, Holstein, Dwarf Lulu and 402 more...
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Russian Doll Words
A Russian Doll word is a word that, when you remove the first and last letters, is either the empty string, or a Russian Doll word. These are all of the 6 or more letter Russian Doll words found in...
waspiness, upraisers, strainers, sporangia, raspiness, prelatess, methanals, gaspiness, washings, uprisers, upraises, upraiser and 2373 more...
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Formerly
Being a list of words with definitions containing the word "formerly."
formerly, armorer, link, plummet, brank, pall-mall, florin, quondam, erstwhile, imponderable, recant, ether and 32 more...
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Stalking Darkness
Words and phrases from Lynn Flewelling's book, Stalking Darkness.
inquest, halyard, catamount, occlude, founder, more, grouse, grapple, water butt, antepenultimate, palimpsest, hob and 196 more...
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sionnach's Words
contumely, fomite, holmgang, poltroon, eleemosynary, obsidian, nugatory, grindcore, felch, recrudescent, pyx, parenteral and 3271 more...
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Torture
Apparatus and methods of being not very naice at all.
branks, larrup, television, equuleus, waterboarding, enhanced interrog..., strappado, bastinado, abacination, extraordinary ren..., scaphism, pillory and 21 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for branks.
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