gallow

G2A1L1L1O1W4
/ˈɡæləʊ/

verb

To frighten, alarm, scare, or terrify.

Similar
gallow character
OriginMiddle English *galowen ← Old English *gǣlwan →
RareScrabble 10
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Meanings

gallow1

verbgallow (third-person singular simple present gallows, present participle gallowing, simple past and past participle gallowed)

present singular third person gallows · participle present gallowing · participle past gallowed · past gallowed · alternative dialectal gally · alternative dialectal galler · alternative dialectal gall · alternative obsolete galley

  1. dialectaltransitiveTo frighten, alarm, scare, or terrify.

    The wrathful skies / Gallow the very wanderers of the dark / And make them keep their caves.

    c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]
  2. dialectaltransitiveTo drive or scare away.
  3. dialectaltransitiveTo confuse with noise.

gallow2

noungallow (plural gallows)

plural gallows · alternative dialectal gally · alternative dialectal galler · alternative dialectal gall · alternative obsolete galley

  1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of gallow glyph.

    Synonyms: gallow character

Gallow3

proper nounGallow (plural Gallows)

plural Gallows

  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

  1. Old English*gǣlwan
  2. Middle English*galowen
  3. Englishgallow

From Middle English *galowen, *galewen, *galwen (attested in begalewen (“to frighten”)), from Old English *gǣlwan, *gēlwan (attested in āgǣlwed, āgēlwed (“stupified, astonished, disconcerted”)), of unknown origin. Alternative forms gally, galley perhaps influenced by Middle English galyen, galien, variants of galen (“to cry out, shout, make a harsh cry”), from Old English galan (“to sing, call”). Compare also Old Norse gala (“to sing, shout, crow”), Old Norse gjalla (“to yell, shout”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with gallow

shallowaloemarshmallowfallowmallowtallowcallowhallowgiallosallowallo-ballow
All rhymes →

Anagrams

gwolla
Cite this entry
APA

gallow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gallow

MLA

“gallow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gallow. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gallow,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gallow.

Source: gallow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.