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whipping boy. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
whipping boy, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
whipping boy in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
whipping boy you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
First recorded in 1647.
Noun
whipping boy (plural whipping boys)
- (historical) A boy that was whipped in the stead of a misbehaving prince.
- As the whipping boy, he must take the whippings for the royal heir, Prince Brat.
- (transferred sense) Someone punished for the errors of others.
- Synonyms: scapegoat; see also Thesaurus:scapegoat
- Coordinate term: whipping girl
Translations
someone punished for the errors of others