Garroter

/ɡəˈroʊtər/ noun

Definition

A person who garrotes someone; a criminal who uses strangulation to kill or rob.

Etymology

From garrote plus -er (one who does something). The term emerged in English in the 19th century as garroting crimes were reported in newspapers and crime literature.

Kelly Says

Victorian London's fear of garroters was so intense that people would walk in groups, stay off streets at night, and carry canes for self-defense. The garroting panic of the 1860s actually led to new police tactics and street lighting.

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