Find your perfect word!

Definition blackmail

Etymology

From black + mail (“a piece of money”).

The word is variously derived from the tribute paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to Border Reivers in return for immunity from raids and other harassment. This tribute was paid in goods or labour, in Latin reditus nigri "blackmail"; the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi "white rent", denoting payment by silver. Alternatively, McKay derives it from two Scottish Gaelic words blathaich, pronounced (the th silent) bl-aich, "to protect" and mal (“tribute, payment”). He notes that the practice was common in the Highlands of Scotland as well as the Borders.

More likely, from black (adj.) + Middle English mal, male (“rent, tribute”), from Old English m?l (“speech, contract, agreement,lawsuit, terms, bargaining”), from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”); related to Old English mæðel "meeting, council," mæl "speech," Gothic ???? (maþl) "meeting place," from Proto-Germanic *maþl?, from PIE *mod- "to meet, assemble" (see meet (v.)). From the practice of freebooting clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against Scottish farmers. Black from the evil of the practice. Expanded c.1826 to any type of extortion money. Compare silver mail "rent paid in money" (1590s); buttock-mail (Scottish, 1530s) "fine imposed for fornication."

Noun

blackmail (uncountable)

1. The extortion of money by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.
2. (archaic) A form of protection money (or corn, cattle, etc.) anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to the allies of robbers in order to be spared from pillage.
3. (English law, historical) Black rent, or rent paid in corn, meat, or the lowest coin, as opposed to white rent, which was paid in silver.
4. Compromising material that can be used to extort someone, dirt.

Verb

blackmail (third-person singular simple present blackmails, present participle blackmailing, simple past and past participle blackmailed)

1. (transitive) To extort money or favors from (a person) by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, such as injury to reputation, distress of mind, false accusation, etc.
2. (Kenya) To speak ill of someone; to defame someone.

Results 109 Words with the letters BLACKMAIL

You can also try words with the phrase BLACKMAIL, words starting with the letters BLACKMAIL, or words ending in the letters BLACKMAIL.

Favorites Searches

Words… ending with q, starting with q, starting with qa, starting with qo, with two letters, starting with x, starting with j, ending with j,

Some random searches: Words with the letters DJKSO, Words with the letters EDIX, Words with the letters UEAH, Words with the letters HRXHO,