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Today it means

boycott

to refuse to deal with a person, organisation or country as a protest

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Where does the word "boycott" come from? It comes from English Boycott, and was adopted directly into English (1880).

Read the full story

Where does the word "boycott" come from? It comes from English Boycott, and was adopted directly into English (1880).

Boycott’s story begins in English: Boycott meant “a family name.” A surname; Charles Boycott was born in 1832 at Burgh St Peter, Norfolk, where his father was rector. It reached English by 1880 as boycott. As land agent for Lord Erne at Lough Mask, County Mayo, Boycott was ostracised in 1880 under the Land League tactic urged by Charles Stewart Parnell; French, German and Russian soon borrowed the word. Today, boycott means to refuse to deal with a person, organisation or country as a protest.

  1. Stage 1 · English · 1832 Boycott "a family name", a surname; Charles Boycott was born in 1832 at Burgh St Peter, Norfolk, where his father was rector.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1880 boycott "to refuse all dealings with", as land agent for Lord Erne at Lough Mask, County Mayo, Boycott was ostracised in 1880 under the Land League tactic urged by Charles Stewart Parnell; French, German and Russian soon borrowed the word.

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