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blackmail

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blackmail


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Blackmail  \Black"mail`\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Blackmailed};  p. 
  pr  &  vb  n.  {Blackmailing}.] 
  To  extort  money  from  by  exciting  fears  of  injury  other  than 
  bodily  harm,  as  injury  to  reputation,  distress  of  mind,  etc.; 
  as  to  blackmail  a  merchant  by  threatening  to  expose  an 
  alleged  fraud.  [U.  S.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Blackmail  \Black"mail`\,  n.  [Black  +  mail  a  piece  of  money.] 
  1.  A  certain  rate  of  money,  corn,  cattle,  or  other  thing 
  anciently  paid,  in  the  north  of  England  and  south  of 
  Scotland,  to  certain  men  who  were  allied  to  robbers,  or 
  moss  troopers,  to  be  by  them  protected  from  pillage.  --Sir 
  W.  Scott. 
 
  2.  Payment  of  money  exacted  by  means  of  intimidation;  also 
  extortion  of  money  from  a  person  by  threats  of  public 
  accusation,  exposure,  or  censure. 
 
  3.  (Eng.  Law)  Black  rent,  or  rent  paid  in  corn,  flesh,  or  the 
  lowest  coin,  a  opposed  to  ``white  rent'',  which  paid  in 
  silver. 
 
  {To  levy  blackmail},  to  extort  money  by  threats,  as  of  injury 
  to  one's  reputation. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  blackmail 
  n  :  extortion  of  money  by  threats  to  divulge  discrediting 
  information 
  v  1:  exert  pressure  on  someone  through  threats  [syn:  {blackjack}, 
  {pressure}] 
  2:  obtain  through  threats 




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