branks en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /bɹæŋks/
Etymology
Origins: First recorded in Scotland in 1567.
Meanings
-
(historical) A punishment device, especially for scolding women, consisting of a cage to enclose the head, with a metal gag for the mouth; a scold's bridle.
Plot, in his History of Staffordshire, describes the branks used at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and at Walsall, in the reign of James II.
1836 July, The Gentleman's Magazine, page 98:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| branks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |