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blackmail definition

black·mail (blak′māl′)

noun

  1. Historical a tribute paid to freebooters and bandits along the Scottish border to assure safety from looting
    1. payment extorted by threatening to disclose information that could bring disgrace or ruin
    2. the extortion of such payment

Etymology: lit., black rent < ME male, rent, tribute < OE mal, lawsuit, terms < ON lawsuit, discussion; infl. in ME by OFr maille, a coin

transitive verb

  1. to get or try to get blackmail from
  2. to coerce (into doing something) as by threats

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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