gallows tree

English

Alternative forms

• gallow tree

Etymology

From earlier gallow tree, from Middle English galowetre, galwe tree, from Old English gealgtrēow, equivalent to gallows +‎ tree. Cognate with Danish galgetræ, Swedish galgträd, Norwegian galgetre, Icelandic gálgatré. Compare also West Frisian galgebeam, German Galgenbaum.

Noun

gallows tree (plural gallows trees)

1. A tree used as a gallows, a tree from which people are hung (killed by hanging).

Synonyms

• hanging tree

Hypernyms

• tree

References

• “gallows tree”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• gallow trees