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Meaning of blackmail
black•mail
Pronunciation: (blak'māl"), [key] — n.
- any payment extorted by intimidation, as by threats of injurious revelations or accusations.
- the extortion of such payment: He confessed rather than suffer the dishonor of blackmail.
- a tribute formerly exacted in the north of England and in Scotland by freebooting chiefs for protection from pillage.
—v.t. - to extort money from (a person) by the use of threats.
- to force or coerce into a particular action, statement, etc.: The strikers claimed they were blackmailed into signing the new contract.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.