Tyburn tippet
- noun
- Archaic
:
soga de Tyburn
- Some old English tales speak of the Tyburn tippet as a chilling symbol of justice.
Examples
-
The condemned man faced the Tyburn tippet with stoic bravery as the crowd watched.
-
Many executions took place at Tyburn, using the Tyburn tippet.
-
In traditional ballads, mention of the Tyburn tippet evoked dread and respect for the law.
-
The Tyburn tippet was a grim reminder of justice in London.
-
The condemned man faced the Tyburn tippet with stoic bravery as the crowd watched.
-
Many executions took place at Tyburn, using the Tyburn tippet.
-
In traditional ballads, mention of the Tyburn tippet evoked dread and respect for the law.
Synonyms
1
9.8
A rope that people use to kill someone by putting it around their neck and making them fall
A rope used to hang a person sentenced to death
Surface Forms
Morphology
Tyburn + tippet
The constituents are obscure and do not transparently yield the meaning: 'Tyburn' is a historical place-name whose association with executions is specific cultural knowledge, and 'tippet' normally denotes a scarf or cloth, not a rope. The MWE's meaning as a hanging-rope depends on historical/cultural reference and semantic specialization, so a B1 learner who only knows the literal constituent meanings would not be able to derive it.
Etymology
Tyburn tippet names the rope used for hangings at Tyburn, a well-known place of execution in old London. The word tippet usually means a small 'scarf', so the image of a 'scarf' turned into a rope around the neck made Tyburn tippet a clear symbol of 'execution' and public 'justice'.