Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The practice of lynching.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The act or practice by private persons of inflicting punishment for crimes or offenses, without due process of law.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the practice of punishing people by hanging without due process of law
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Probably after Charles Lynch, (1736–1796), American militiaman and justice of the peace who held summary extralegal trials and whippings of supposed Tory sympathizers in Virginia during the American Revolution.]
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