Historical Punishments

noun A group of people working together in a coordinated manner

• The prisoners were put on a chain gang to work on the roads.
• I heard they put some guys on a chain gang for breaking the rules.
• Those guys on the chain gang have it rough.
• Being stuck in a dead-end job can feel like being on a chain gang.

noun a method of execution in which the victim is drawn and quartered

verb to execute by tying each limb to a horse and driving them in different directions

• In medieval times, traitors were often subjected to the punishment of being drawn and quartered.
• I heard they used to draw and quarter people back in the old days.
• If you mess with the boss, he'll have you drawn and quartered.
• The team felt like they were being drawn and quartered by the relentless schedule.

noun a bundle of pieces of iron or steel to be welded, hammered, or rolled together at high temperature

• The fagot of sticks was used to start the campfire.
• Can you grab that fagot of firewood over there?
• I can't believe he called him a fagot, that's so rude.
• The fagot of complaints seemed never-ending.

verb to beat or whip (someone) as a punishment or torture

• The store owner was arrested for attempting to flog counterfeit goods.
• I heard that guy down the street is trying to flog some fake designer bags.
• Don't flog that old phone, it's practically worthless now.
• She felt like she was being flogged with criticism during the meeting.

noun a person who is forced to row in a galley as a form of punishment

• In ancient times, a galley slave was a prisoner who was forced to row a ship as a form of punishment.
• I feel like a galley slave with all the work I have to do around here.
• I ain't gonna be no galley slave for nobody.
• Working in that office felt like being a galley slave, with all the repetitive tasks and long hours.

noun a form of punishment or torture in which the victim is forced to run between two lines of people who strike at him or her

• The soldier had to run the gantlet of enemy fire to reach the safety of the bunker.
• I had to go through the gantlet of paperwork just to get a simple permit.
• She had to run the gantlet of gossip at school after the rumor spread.
• The new employee had to run the gantlet of office politics to gain acceptance among his coworkers.

noun a challenge or ordeal that must be endured

• The knight prepared to run the gauntlet as part of his training.
• I had to run the gauntlet of questions from my nosy relatives at the family reunion.
• She threw down the gauntlet and challenged him to a dance-off.
• Starting a new business is like running the gauntlet of challenges and obstacles.

noun a person or representation of a person that is hung or displayed in public as a punishment or protest

• The protestors decided to hang the politician in effigy to express their discontent.
• They're planning to hang the mayor in effigy at the protest tomorrow.
• The angry mob wanted to hang the CEO in effigy for his unethical practices.
• The artist's sculpture seemed to hang the concept of greed in effigy for all to see.

verb to confine or restrict someone's freedom by putting them in prison

• The judge decided to imprison the criminal for ten years.
• They're going to imprison that guy for a long time.
• They're gonna throw him in the slammer for a while.
• Her guilt imprisoned her mind, preventing her from moving forward.

noun a loop with a running knot, tightening as the rope or wire is pulled

• The detective carefully examined the noose found at the crime scene.
• I can't believe they tried to prank me with a fake noose hanging from the ceiling!
• That guy is always hanging around like a loose noose, never leaving us alone.
• The debt felt like a tightening noose around his neck, suffocating him with each passing day.

noun a colony where prisoners are exiled or incarcerated

• The penal colony was established on the remote island to house prisoners far away from society.
• I heard they're sending him to a penal colony for his crimes.
• He's headed to the slammer, aka the penal colony.
• Being stuck in this dead-end job feels like living in a penal colony.

noun a form of punishment or torture in which the subject is forced to run between two rows of people who strike at him or her

verb to endure a series of troubles or difficulties

• The soldiers had to run the gauntlet of enemy fire to reach the safety of the bunker.
• I had to run the gauntlet of traffic to get to work on time.
• She ran the gauntlet of high school gossip when she started dating the popular guy.
• Starting a new job can feel like running the gauntlet of meeting new people and learning new processes.

verb to remove someone from the priesthood or deprive a clergyman of their rank or status

• The bishop decided to unfrock the priest for his unethical behavior.
• The church is going to unfrock that scandalous priest.
• They're gonna kick him out and unfrock him real soon.
• The company decided to unfrock the CEO after the financial scandal.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used with a noun to specify grammatical definiteness of the noun

• The teacher gave the misbehaving student a clip round the ear as a disciplinary action.
• My mom used to give me a clip round the ear when I was being naughty as a child.
• If you keep talking back to me, I'll give you a clip round the ear!
• The unexpected news hit him like a clip round the ear, leaving him stunned and speechless.