pound of flesh - definition and meaning

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pound of flesh love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

n. A debt harshly insisted upon.

Wiktionary

n. idiomatic Something which is owed and which will be hurtful or difficult to provide; a debt owed to someone who is merciless and demanding.

Etymologies

From Shakepeare's The Merchant of Venice, in which Antonio literally owes a pound of his flesh to the moneylender Shylock. (Wiktionary)
From Antonio's debt to Shylock in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

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The Wørd

Trademark of Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report.

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Fun Phrases & Idioms

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phrases

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