2. pl. A long bar or bolt of iron with sliding shackles, and
a lock at the end, to confine the feet of prisoners or
offenders, esp. on board of ships.
[1913 Webster]
Methought I lay Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. --Shak. [1913 Webster] ||
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
bilboes — noun /ˈbɪlbəʊz/ An iron bar fitting around the ankles of prisoners, and having sliding shackles. , 2001: The bilboes looked like handcuffs that went around the ankles. The prisoner lay flat on his back, in the dirt, his feet suspended in the air… … Wiktionary
bilboes — n. fetters, long iron bar with sliding handcuffs used to confine persons on shipn. spanish sword having a well tempered blade (Archaic); long iron bar with sliding shackles attached to prisoners feet … English contemporary dictionary
bilboes — plural noun an iron bar with sliding shackles, formerly used for confining a prisoner s ankles. Origin C16: of unknown origin … English new terms dictionary
bilboes — n. pl. Shackles, fetters, gyves, chains, stocks … New dictionary of synonyms
bilboes — n. pl. fetters, especially long iron bar with sliding shackles used to imprison persons on ship … Dictionary of difficult words
bilboes — A device used for punishment at sea, similar to the stocks (q.v.) on land … Black's law dictionary
bilboes — A device used for punishment at sea, similar to the stocks (q.v.) on land … Black's law dictionary
bilboes — A contrivance for the discipline and punishment of unruly sailors on shipboard, consisting of a board with holes in it through which the man s feet and arms protruded … Ballentine's law dictionary
bilboes — n.pl. hist. an iron bar with sliding shackles for a prisoner s ankles. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn … Useful english dictionary
Bilboe — A bilboe (usually plural: bilboes) is a tool of corporal punishment for men and women alike. The bilboes combine physical discomfort with social humiliation; they were popular in England and America in the colonial and early Revolutionary periods … Wikipedia
