1550s, from black (adj.) + Middle English male "rent, tribute," from Old English mal "lawsuit, terms, bargaining, agreement," from Old Norse mal "speech, agreement;" related to Old English mæðel "meeting, council," mæl "speech," Gothic maþl "meeting place," from Proto-Germanic *mathla-, from PIE *mod- "to meet, assemble" (see meet (v.)). From the practice of freebooting clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against Scottish farmers. Black from the evil of the practice. Expanded c. 1826 to any type of extortion money. Compare silver mail "rent paid in money" (1590s); buttock-mail (Scottish, 1530s) "fine imposed for fornication."
blackmail (v.)
1852, from blackmail (n.). Related: Blackmailed; blackmailing.
雙語例句
1. She was a prime target for blackmail, don't you see?
她是敲詐的主要目標。你難道看不出來嗎？
來自柯林斯例句
2. The tactics employed can range from overt bullying to subtle emotional blackmail.
從公然威嚇到微妙的情感脅迫，各種戰術都用上了。
來自柯林斯例句
3. That was a terrible case of blackmail in the paper today.
今天報上登的那宗勒索案真可怕。
來自柯林斯例句
4. It looks like the pictures were being used for blackmail.