Boycott

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

boycott¹

  • /ˈbɔɪkɒt/ UK
  • /ˈbɔɪkɑt/ US

Where it comes from

From Charles Boycott, an English evicting land agent in Ireland who was subject to a boycott organized by the Irish Land League in 1880. For the surname see Boycott.

verb boycotts · boycotting · boycotted

  1. transitive To abstain, either as an individual or a group, from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organization as an expression of protest. There is probably not a citizen in the United States who wears a hat that has not heard of John Stetson, and does not know that the Stetson hat is one of if not the best made. For some cause the Knights [of Labor] have boycotted the Stetson hats, and have notified all dealers that if they sell them

Similar: embargo

noun boycotts

  1. The act of boycotting. [W]hat has been the actual effects of the [UFW grape] boycott? As far as one can judge, it has cut down on the grape sales in a few big city outlets. But going into its second year, the boycott is losing steam. The middle class doesn't care.

Similar: embargo

Boycott²

Where it comes from

From Middle English Boicote, probably from Old English Bōia cot (“Bōia's cottage”).

The first element was a common Germanic name of obscure meaning, with parallels in Old Norse and Franconian dialects. Some proposed connections include bugan (“bent”), buan (“live”), or the root of modern bully.

proper noun

  1. A hamlet in Stowe parish, Buckinghamshire, England (OS grid ref SP6636).
  2. A surname.

Talk about this word