The pillory is a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, used during the medieval and renaissance periods for punishment by public …

: to set in a pillory as punishment. : to expose to public contempt, ridicule, or scorn. Did you know? In days gone by, criminals who got caught might well have found themselves in the stocks (which held …

Pillory, an instrument of corporal punishment consisting of a wooden post and frame fixed on a platform raised several feet from the ground. The head and hands of the offender were thrust through holes in …

Oct 31, 2025 · When asked what was the pillory used for, historians answer plainly: to punish through shame. Thieves, liars, fraudsters, and blasphemers stood locked within its boards, heads and hands …

Most European countries abolished stocks and pillories by the middle of the 19th century, as did most American states. Except for Delaware, which was reluctant to abandon the pillory until 1905. In …

A pillory is a wooden frame with holes for the head and hands. In Europe in former times criminals were sometimes locked in a pillory as a form of punishment. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s …

PILLORY meaning: 1. to severely criticize someone, especially in a public way: 2. to severely criticize someone…. Learn more.

Jan 18, 2017 · Pillory defined and explained with examples. Pillory is a wooden device, in which a person's head and hands could be secured as a method of punishment.

PILLORY definition: a wooden framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used to expose an offender to public derision. See examples of pillory used in a sentence.

pillory, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary