pass under the yoke

verb

Of a defeated army, to be humiliated by the victors.

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Meanings

verbpass under the yoke (third-person singular simple present passes under the yoke, present participle passing under the yoke, simple past and past participle passed under the yoke)

present singular third person passes under the yoke · participle present passing under the yoke · participle past passed under the yoke · past passed under the yoke

  1. idiomaticgovernmentOf a defeated army, to be humiliated by the victors.

Origin

The practice of passing under the yoke (Latin: sub iugum) was a ritual humiliation of enemies practiced by the people of ancient Italy, most notably the Romans and Samnites. Hence, the modern English word subjugate stems from the Latin "sub iugum", meaning under the yoke.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish joutua voittajan nöyryyttämäksi, kulkea ikeen alta
  • joutua voittajan nöyryyttämäksiTranslations
  • kulkea ikeen altaTranslations
French passer sous les fourches caudines
  • passer sous les fourches caudinesTranslations
Italian passare sotto le forche caudine
  • passare sotto le forche caudineTranslations
Polish but see przegrać
  • but see przegraćTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

pass under the yoke. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pass%20under%20the%20yoke

MLA

“pass under the yoke.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pass%20under%20the%20yoke. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pass under the yoke,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pass%20under%20the%20yoke.

Source: pass under the yoke on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.