whipping boys

A form of whipping boy — A boy who was whipped in the stead of a misbehaving prince in early modern Europe.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of whipping boy
Cite this entry
APA

whipping boys. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whipping%20boys

MLA

“whipping boys.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whipping%20boys. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whipping boys,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whipping%20boys.

Source: whipping boys on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.