Tyburn tree

alternative Tyburn Tree · alternative Tyburn-tree

1. historicalA gallows, situated at Tyburn, Middlesex, (present-day Greater London), that was used for public hangings from medieval times until 1783 (when executions were moved to Newgate Prison).

   1896, Francis Watt, Tyburn Tree, W. E. Henley (editor), The New Review, Volume 15, William Heinemann, page 692, None can exactly fix the place of Tyburn Tree. […] Tyburn tree stood within a gunshot to the north-west of the Marble Arch.

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   If he entered London by Oxford-street,Tyburn tree would certainly attract his attention, especially when ten or twelve criminals were about to suffer in the presence of a crowd of people gathered round it, indulging themselves in the sports and pastimes usual on such occasions.

   1889, G. B. Barton, History of New South Wales from the Records, Volume 1: Governor Phillip, 1783-1789, page 221

   1898, Charles F. King, Roundabout Rambles in Northern Europe, Lee and Shepard, page 163, Just before turning from Hyde Park into this road, Mr. French pointed out where the famous "Tyburn Tree" once stood. "What does that mean?" Fred asked. "‘The Tyburn Tree,’" replied Mr. French, "was sometimes called the ‘Three-Legged Mare’ because it was a triangle on three legs. It was where the public executions took place before 1783. It was selected because it was so remote from London."

   Synonyms: Tyburn gallows, Middlesex gallows, Three-legged mare

plural Tyburn trees · alternative Tyburn Tree · alternative Tyburn-tree

1. broadlyobsoleteA gallows.

   1840, James W. Peppercorns (translator), Moses Maimonides, The Laws of the Hebrews, Relating to the Poor and the Stranger, Pelham Richardson, page civ, The wild Olive, and the Fig, were the Tyburn-trees of the Athenians.

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   1853, Herman Melville, White Jacket: Or, The World in a Man-of-War, Volume 2, Richard Bentley, page 276, But Hogarth should have converted the ship's masts themselves into Tyburn-trees, and thus, with the ocean for a background, closed the career of his hero.

1. Alternative letter-case form of Tyburn tree.