iron collar
- noun
- NSFW
:
collar de hierro
- The executioner secured the iron collar around the prisoner's neck before the sentence was carried out.
Examples
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The museum exhibit included an authentic iron collar once used in public executions.
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In medieval Europe, the iron collar was a symbol of harsh justice and punishment.
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The iron collar was used to execute prisoners.
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In medieval times, an iron collar was a common tool.
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In medieval Europe, the iron collar was used as a device for executing condemned criminals by strangulation.
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The executioner tightened the iron collar around the neck of the prisoner, ensuring a swift execution.
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Visitors to the historical museum were shocked to see the iron collar that had been utilized for capital punishment.
Synonyms
5
9.9
A cord or wire used to kill someone by squeezing the neck
1
9.9
A tool that kills by tightening a cord or wire around the neck
Surface Forms
Morphology
iron + collar
The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'iron' (metal) + 'collar' (something worn around the neck) yields a collar made of iron, which a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer. The specialised historical use as an instrument of execution is a pragmatic/encyclopedic detail beyond pure composition, but the basic physical meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The noun iron collar comes from a very literal device: a heavy iron ring or collar locked around a person's neck to choke them. Because people saw this metal collar used in public 'executions' and 'punishment', the phrase now means that cruel instrument or a symbol of harsh justice.