lynch

English

Etymology

First attested 1835, from Lynch law that appeared in 1811. There is a popular claim that it was named after William Lynch, but equally strong arguments would have it named after Charles Lynch.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /lɪntʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɪntʃ
• Homophone: Lynch

Verb

lynch (third-person singular simple present lynches, present participle lynching, simple past and past participle lynched)

1. (pejorative) To execute without a proper legal trial, especially by hanging.
2. (pejorative) To commit an act of violence by a mob upon the body of another person.

Synonyms

• (execute without a proper legal trial): string up

Derived terms

• lynching
• lynch mob

Related terms

• kangaroo court
• show trial

Translations

execute without a proper legal trial

Chinese: Mandarin: 執行私刑 (zh), 执行私刑 (zh) (zhíxíng sīxíng) Croatian: linčovati (hr) Dutch: lynchen (nl) Finnish: lynkata (fi) French: lyncher (fr) German: lynchen (de) Japanese: リンチを加える (ja) (rinchi-o kuwaeru), 私刑を加える (ja) (shikei-o kuwaeru)

Polish: linczować (pl), zlinczować (pl) Portuguese: linchar (pt) Russian: линчевать (ru) (linčevát'), расправляться самосудом (ru) (raspravlját'sja samosúdom) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: ли̏нчовати (sh) Roman: lȉnčovati (sh) Spanish: linchar (es)