Link Centre Dictionary

lynch

UK/lɪnt͡ʃ/ US/ˈlɪntʃ/ fairly common

verb

1.

kill without legal sanction

  • “The blood-thirsty mob lynched the alleged killer of the child”

Origin

First attested 1835, from Lynch law, which appeared in 1811. There is a popular claim that it was named after William Lynch, but equally strong arguments would have it named after Charles Lynch. For the surname, see Lynch. Ultimately a possible doublet of linch.

Phrases

  • kangaroo court
  • lynch law
  • lynch mob
  • show trial

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.