noun

gibbet

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Gibbet (noun) means an upright post with a crossbar, once used to carry out executions and to display the body afterwards as a warning to others. Example: “The old maps mark a gibbet on the hill outside town.”

noun

An upright post with a crossbar, once used to carry out executions and to display the body afterwards as a warning to others.

"The old maps mark a gibbet on the hill outside town."

"Highwaymen were once hanged from a gibbet at the crossroads."

"The gibbet stood as a grim warning to travellers passing the gate."

The projecting arm of a crane from which the load hangs.

"The crane's gibbet swung the beam over the dock."

"Engineers checked the gibbet before lifting the container."

"A cable ran from the winch along the length of the gibbet."

How to use gibbet

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA gibbet is the post used to hang or display an executed body, or, on a crane, the arm that carries the load.

When to use it

The execution sense is historical and now mainly appears in accounts of the past.

Memory tip

Picture a signpost shape: a gibbet, like a crane's gibbet, is built to hold something hanging out over open space.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

giblet →

Common pairings

hanged from a gibbet displayed on a gibbet the crane's gibbet a gibbet at the crossroads

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “gibbet” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The old maps mark a _____ on the hill outside town.

Etymology

Gibbet comes from Middle English gibet, taken from Old French gibet. Beyond that the trail forks: it may go back to a Frankish word for a forked stick, or to the Latin gibbus, meaning hunchbacked.

Origin: Old French

Synonyms

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gallows jib

Related words

gallows jib

Frequently asked questions

What does gibbet mean?

A gibbet is an upright post with a crossbar that was once used for executions and for displaying the body of an executed person afterwards. The same word also names the projecting arm of a crane.

Is a gibbet the same as a gallows?

They are close in meaning and often used together, though a gibbet was specifically used to display a body after execution rather than only to carry it out.

Why is a crane part called a gibbet?

The crane's projecting arm was named a gibbet because of its resemblance in shape to the execution post, both being a beam projecting out to bear a hanging load.

What is the meaning of gibbet?

"gibbet" (noun) means an upright post with a crossbar, once used to carry out executions and to display the body afterwards as a warning to others.

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