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bâillonner

gag

verb bah-yoh-NEH Rare

Origin: From bâillon 'gag, muzzle'

Also means

silence

Usage Note

Bâillonner literally means to put a gag on someone's mouth, and figuratively means to silence or suppress, as in bâillonner la presse (to muzzle the press). The noun bâillon refers to the gag itself. The figurative use is very common in political or journalistic language.

Examples

"Les rebelles ont bâillonné leurs prisonniers."

Natural Translation

The rebels gagged their prisoners.

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