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hempen necktie

hempen necktie

9.9
A strong rope tied into a loop for hanging people
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛmpən ˈnɛkˌtaɪ/
  • NSFW
translation icon : soga de cáñamo
  • The outlaw faced the hempen necktie after his conviction for murder.

Examples

  • Stories of the Old West often mention men meeting their end by the hempen necktie.

  • They found a hempen necktie at the old gallows.

  • Many feared crossing the sheriff, knowing a hempen necktie awaited those who broke the law.

  • The prisoner wore a hempen necktie as part of the execution.

  • The outlaw faced the hempen necktie after his conviction for murder.

  • Stories of the Old West often mention men meeting their end by the hempen necktie.

  • Many feared crossing the sheriff, knowing a hempen necktie awaited those who broke the law.

Synonyms

noose
vshempen necktie
  • NSFW
65 6.1

A loop of rope with a knot that tightens used to catch animals or for hanging

is focused on execution use rather than general trapping or catching
halter
vshempen necktie
  • NSFW
1 9.6

A rope loop used to hang a person

is the more general term for that rope rather than an executioner's label
hangman's rope
vshempen necktie
  • NSFW
1 9.8

A rope that people use to kill someone by putting it around their neck and making them fall

is the ordinary word for that rope rather than the legal term
hangman's halter
vshempen necktie
  • NSFW
9.9

A rope used to hang a person sentenced to death

is a broader name for the same rope rather than the formal execution label
running noose
vshempen necktie
  • Specialized
9.1

A loop in a rope that tightens when you pull it

is about a rope used specifically for execution rather than general tightening loops

Surface Forms

Morphology

hempen + necktie

The components 'hempen' (made of hemp, rope-like) and 'necktie' (a tie worn at the neck) transparently yield the image of a hemp tie placed around the neck, and a hangman's noose is literally a rope tied around the neck, so there is a clear compositional link. However, using 'necktie' to mean an execution noose is a euphemistic/archaic sense and 'hempen' is relatively low-frequency, so the precise sense 'hangman's noose' is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

The noun hempen necktie comes from a simple picture: a hempen rope tied like a necktie and used by a hangman to hang people. So, it means 'a hangman's noose'.