hangman

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English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

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From Middle English hangman, hongman, hangeman, equivalent to hang +‎ -man.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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hangman (countable and uncountable, plural hangmen)

  1. (countable) An executioner responsible for hanging criminals.
  2. Someone responsible for hanging pictures and other artworks in a gallery, museum etc.
    • 1828, JT Smith, Nollekens and His Times, Century Hutchinson, published 1986, page 213:
      I also asked some Royal Academicians to view it, viz. Northcote, Cosway, &c. who approved of it much: it is well composed, and beautifully coloured; but the hangmen at the Exhibition have not hung it in a conspicuous situation; it is placed in an ante-room, and pretty high [] .
  3. (uncountable, games) A guessing game where one has to guess the word an opponent is thinking of by guessing one letter at a time, and involving the gradual drawing of a stick figure hanging from the gallows.

Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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