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boycott

Pronunciation: /ˈbɔɪkɒt/

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Definition of boycott

verb

[with object]

withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest: we will boycott all banks which take part in the loans scheme
refuse to buy or handle (goods) as a punishment or protest: an advert urges consumers to boycott the firm’s coffee
refuse to cooperate with or participate in (a policy or event): most parties indicated that they would boycott the election

noun

a punitive ban on relations with other bodies, cooperation with a policy, or the handling of goods: a boycott of the negotiations

Origin:

from the name of Captain Charles C. Boycott (1832–97), an Irish land agent so treated in 1880, in an attempt instigated by the Irish Land League to get rents reduced

Spelling help

Spell boycott with a double t (it comes from the name of Captain Charles Boycott).

boycott in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of boycott in the US English dictionary

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