lynching

n. an instance of a group or mob of vigilantes killing a person, especially by hanging. The lynch mob often justifies its actions by claiming that the victim is guilty of some crime and the group is administering an appropriate punishment. Most lynchings in the United States were racially motivated acts of violence perpetrated by White Americans against African Americans. The first documented U.S. lynching occurred in 1882; by 1950, lynch mobs had killed more than 3,000 people. —lynch vb.

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Psychology term of the day

November 25th 2024

thrombotic stroke

the most common type of stroke, occurring when blood flow to the brain is blocked by a cerebral thrombosis. A thrombotic stroke typically results from the narrowing and eventual occlusion of a large blood vessel in the brain, especially the carotid or middle cerebral artery, by atherosclerosis.