Branks

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bræŋks/

Origin

Origin uncertain; perhaps related to German Pranger, Dutch prang.

Full definition of branks

Noun

1. (plurale tantum) a punishment device, especially for scolding women, consisting of a cage to enclose the head, with a metal gag for the mouth
• 1836: Plot, in his History of Staffordshire, describes the branks used at Newcastle-under-Lyme, and at Walsall, in the reign of James II. — The Gentleman's Magazine, July 1836 p.98