branks

English

Etymology

Origins: First recorded in Scotland in 1567.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɹæŋks/
• Rhymes: -æŋks

Noun

branks (plural branks)

1. (historical) A punishment device, especially for scolding women, consisting of a cage to enclose the head, with a metal gag for the mouth; a scold's bridle.
   • 1836 July, The Gentleman's Magazine, page 98:

     Plot, in his History of Staffordshire, describes the branks used at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and at Walsall, in the reign of James II.