Dictionary

blackmail en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈblækˌmeɪl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From black + mail (“a piece of money”). Compare Middle English blak rente (“a type of blackmail levied by Irish chieftains”). The word is variously derived from the tribute paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to border reivers in return for immunity from raids and other harassment. This tribute was paid in goods or labour, in Latin reditus nigri (“black mail”); the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi (“white rent”), denoting payment by silver. McKay derives it from two Scottish Gaelic words blàthaich, pronounced (the th silent) bl-aich, "to protect" and màl (“tribute, payment”). He notes that the practice was common in the Scottish Highlands as well as the Borders. More likely, from black + Middle English mal, male, maile (“a payment, rent, tribute”), from Old English māl (“speech, contract, agreement, lawsuit, terms, bargaining”), from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”); related to Old English mæðel (“meeting, council”), mæl (“speech”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌻 (maþl, “meeting place”), from Proto-Germanic *maþlą (“gathering, agreement”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to give advice, measure”). From the practice of freebooting clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against Scottish farmers. Black from the evil of the practice. Expanded c. 1826 to any type of extortion money. Compare silver mail (“rent paid in money”) (1590s); buttock mail (“fine imposed for fornication”) (1530s, Scottish).

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The extortion of money or favors by threats of public accusation, critique, or exposure.
2. (broadly, uncountable) Compromising material that can be used to extort someone.
3. (broadly, uncountable) Compromising material that can be used to extort someone. ▸ A type of roleplay where the submissive shares information that may be exploited by the dominant.
4. (archaic, uncountable) A form of protection money (or corn, cattle, etc.) anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to the allies of robbers in order to be spared from pillage.
5. (England, historical, uncountable) Black rent; rent paid in corn, meat, or the lowest coin, as opposed to white rent, which was paid in silver.

Deriveds

postattack blackmail · emotional blackmail

Relateds

whitemail · greenmail · graymail

Translations (104)

gsw Erpressig (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · bn ব্ল্যাকমেইল (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · nb utpressing (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sco blackmail (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · da pengeafpresning (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ms peras ugut (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · lo ການຂູ່ເອົາເງິນ (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · be вымага́ньне (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sh у̏цена (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · bg шанта́ж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ky шантаж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · fa-ira شانْتاژ (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · tr şantaj (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cmn 要挾 /要挟 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sl izsiljevanje (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ur دَھون٘س (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ca xantatge (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ru вымога́тельство (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sq shantazh (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cmn 逼勒 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · lv šantāža (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · th การรีดเอาทรัพย์ (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · be вымага́льніцтва (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · hy շանտաժ (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sh ȕcjena (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · az şantaj (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · el εκβιασμός (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ga dúmhál (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · da afpresning (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · pt extorsão (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sh у̏цјена (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · tk şantaž (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cy blacmel (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · tt шантаж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · vi tống tiền (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · he סְחִיטַת (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · mn шантаж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cmn 誅求 /诛求 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · uk шанта́ж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · grc ἐκβιασμός (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cs vydírání (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · fa-ira باجگیری (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · et šantaaž (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · mn сүрдүүлэг (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · be вымага́нне (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · uz shantaj (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · fa-ira تَهْدید (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · gd màl dubh (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · it ricatto (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · hi ब्लैकमेल (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · hi धौंस (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · hy շորթում (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · eu xantaia (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · gl chantaxe (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ko 강청 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sh ȕcena (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ka შანტაჟი (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ur بِلَیک میل (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · es extorsión (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ug شانتاژ (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · nl afpersing (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · et väljapressimine (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · tg шантаж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ru шанта́ж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · mt rikatt (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · th แบล็กเมล์ (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ru рэ́кет (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ro șantaj (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · th รีดเอาทรัพย์ (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · kk шантаж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · de Erpressung (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ko 협박 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · nl chantage (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · bg изну́дване (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cmn 勒索 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · lt šantažas (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · lb Chantage (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · fi kiristys (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · tg таҳдид (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cmn 敲詐 /敲诈 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · km បស័យ្ហគ្រាស (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · pl szantaż (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sk vydieranie (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · id pemerasan (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cy bygythbris (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · es chantaje (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · pt chantagem (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · uk вимага́ння (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · hi भयादोहन (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ja 恐喝 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · cmn 訛詐 /讹诈 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · eo ĉantaĝo (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ja 強請 (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · sv utpressning (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · fr chantage (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · is fjárkúgun (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · kk бопса (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · io extorso (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · mg soloky (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · mk уцена (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · nb utpresning (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · hu zsarolás (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · be шанта́ж (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure) · ar اِبْتِزَاز (extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure)

wikipedia: Anglo-Scottish border · wikipedia: border reivers · wikipedia: Scottish Highlands

blackmail en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈblækˌmeɪl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From black + mail (“a piece of money”). Compare Middle English blak rente (“a type of blackmail levied by Irish chieftains”). The word is variously derived from the tribute paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to border reivers in return for immunity from raids and other harassment. This tribute was paid in goods or labour, in Latin reditus nigri (“black mail”); the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi (“white rent”), denoting payment by silver. McKay derives it from two Scottish Gaelic words blàthaich, pronounced (the th silent) bl-aich, "to protect" and màl (“tribute, payment”). He notes that the practice was common in the Scottish Highlands as well as the Borders. More likely, from black + Middle English mal, male, maile (“a payment, rent, tribute”), from Old English māl (“speech, contract, agreement, lawsuit, terms, bargaining”), from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”); related to Old English mæðel (“meeting, council”), mæl (“speech”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌻 (maþl, “meeting place”), from Proto-Germanic *maþlą (“gathering, agreement”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to give advice, measure”). From the practice of freebooting clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against Scottish farmers. Black from the evil of the practice. Expanded c. 1826 to any type of extortion money. Compare silver mail (“rent paid in money”) (1590s); buttock mail (“fine imposed for fornication”) (1530s, Scottish).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To extort money or favors from (a person) by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, such as injury to reputation, distress of mind, false accusation, etc.
   • He blackmailed a businesswoman by threatening to expose an alleged fraud.
2. (Kenya) To speak ill of someone; to defame someone.

Forms

Deriveds

blackmaily · cyberblackmail · blackmailee · blackmailer · blackmailable · unblackmailed

Relateds

protection racket · extortion · hush money

Translations (56)

pt extorquir (to extort money) · io extorsar (to extort money) · cmn 要挾 /要挟 (to extort money) · grc συκοφαντέω (to extort money) · uk вимага́ти (to extort money) · sk vydierať (to extort money) · grc ἐκβιάζω (to extort money) · ro a șantaja (to extort money) · sh ucijéniti (to extort money) · fr faire du chantage (to extort money) · mk уценува (to extort money) · be шантажы́раваць (to extort money) · bg изну́дя (to extort money) · el εκβιάζω (to extort money) · sh ucéniti (to extort money) · ja せびる (to extort money) · cmn 逼勒 (to extort money) · cmn 誅求 /诛求 (to extort money) · ar اِبْتِزَازَ (to extort money) · pl szantażować (to extort money) · mk уцени (to extort money) · be вымага́ць (to extort money) · ko 공갈하다 (to extort money) · eo ĉantaĝi (to extort money) · he סָחַט (to extort money) · sh уце́нити (to extort money) · pt chantagear (to extort money) · ru вымога́ть (to extort money) · sl izsiljevati (to extort money) · da afpresse (to extort money) · sv utpressa (to extort money) · bg изну́двам (to extort money) · cy blacmelio (to extort money) · hy շանտաժի ենթարկել (to extort money) · cmn 敲詐 /敲诈 (to extort money) · is kúga fé út úr e-m (to extort money) · fi kiristää (to extort money) · sh уције́нити (to extort money) · it ricattare (to extort money) · ru шантажи́ровать (to extort money) · fr faire chanter (to extort money) · sv pressa ut (to extort money) · uk шантажува́ти (to extort money) · cs vydírat (to extort money) · nl chanteren (to extort money) · nb utpresse (to extort money) · bg шантажи́рам (to extort money) · cmn 訛詐 /讹诈 (to extort money) · th รีดเอาทรัพย์ (to extort money) · ja 強要する (to extort money) · de erpressen (to extort money) · cmn 勒索 (to extort money) · hu zsarol (to extort money) · es chantajear (to extort money) · lb erpressen (to extort money) · vi doạ tố giác (to extort money)

wikipedia: Anglo-Scottish border · wikipedia: border reivers · wikipedia: Scottish Highlands