GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

last match results

Found 2 definitions

1.       
   Blackmail , n. [Black + mail a piece of money.]
   A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage.
   Sir W. Scott.
   
   1913 Webster
   Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.
   1913 Webster
   (Eng. Law) Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to “white rent”, which paid in silver.
   1913 Webster
   To levy blackmail, to extort money by threats, as of injury to one's reputation.
   1913 Webster
   
         
       

2.       
   Blackmail, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackmailed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Blackmailing.] To extort money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc.; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud. [U. S.]
   1913 Webster