Duke of Monmouth
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
His name became a general term to denote a hangman. ROSE, the butcher (1686).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Duke of Monmouth” mean?
His name became a general term to denote a hangman. ROSE, the butcher (1686).
Is “Duke of Monmouth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.