brank
/bræŋk/
noun
- A device formerly used as a punishment for scolding women, consisting of an iron frame that enclosed the head and had a metal piece that pressed on the tongue.
- She read about the brank in her history class and was shocked by its use.
- Historical records describe the brank as a cruel instrument of public humiliation.
- The museum displayed a brank used in the 17th century.