🪖 A punishment device 🪖 To punish by device

to brank

9.9

To put a metal frame on someone's head to stop them speaking

verb
/bræŋk/

NSFW

: castigar con brida de escoldra

In the seventeenth century, authorities would brank women accused of gossiping in the village square.

Examples

She feared they might brank her if she continued to speak out against the council.
The threat to brank offenders was meant to discourage public arguments and slander.
Don't brank her!
She branked him.
In the past, villagers would brank anyone caught spreading false rumors to silence their gossip.
During the trial, the judge warned that he would brank anyone disrupting the proceedings.
She was terrified that her outspoken views would lead to someone trying to brank her in front of the crowd.

Antonyms

to encourage

877 2.3

Give someone support and confidence so they try or keep doing something

to liberate

202 4.3

Set someone free from prison or unfair control

Surface Forms

brank infinitive

branked past

branked past participle

branking present participle

branks third person singular

Etymology

The verb brank comes from the name of that device: to brank someone was to put the metal 'bit' or bridle on them and stop their speech. That's why to brank someone means to punish or publicly silence them.