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read someone the riot act. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
read someone the riot act, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
read someone the riot act in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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read someone the riot act, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From read the Riot Act. See sense 2. The Riot Act is a historical British Act of Parliament enacted in 1714, which stated that once a statutory warning was read out to rioters and they failed to disperse within one hour, then authorities may use any force to disperse them with impunity.
Pronunciation
Verb
read someone the riot act (third-person singular simple present reads someone the riot act, present participle reading someone the riot act, simple past and past participle read someone the riot act)
- (idiomatic) To scold or berate somebody; to reprimand.
She really read him the riot act about his smoking habit.
- (British, Commonwealth, archaic, historical) To give a formal warning for a riotous assembly to disperse, usually through reading a section of the Riot Act.
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