drumhead court-martial

noun

Synonyms of drumhead court-martial next

: a summary court-martial that tries offenses on the battlefield

Examples of drumhead court-martial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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And men like Lang Long, a Cambodian who was trafficked and sold into the Thai fishing industry, are modern-day Billy Budds in a system that lacks even the rough justice of a drumhead court-martial. —

Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

from the use of a drumhead as a table

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of drumhead court-martial was in 1796

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Drumhead court-martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drumhead%20court-martial. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

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