ducking stool

noun

: a seat attached to a plank and formerly used to plunge culprits tied to it into water

Examples of ducking stool in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The punishment was to tie them to a ducking stool and toss them in a river. Robert Samuels, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2023 In the Crypt below from the original Norman building is a rare example of a medieval ducking stool. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022 The ducking stool from which Pipes shouted obscenities has not been forgotten. Katie Dancey-Downs, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ducking stool was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near ducking stool

Cite this Entry

“Ducking stool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ducking%20stool. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!