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gerrymander

Pronunciation: /ˈdʒɛrɪˌmandə/

(British also jerrymander)

Definition of gerrymander

verb

[with object] (often as noun gerrymandering)

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favour one party or class.
achieve (a result) by gerrymandering:an attempt to gerrymander the election result

noun

an instance of gerrymandering.

Derivatives

gerrymanderer

Origin:

early 19th century: from the name of Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts + salamander, from the supposed similarity between a salamander and the shape of a new voting district on a map drawn when he was in office (1812), the creation of which was felt to favour his party; the map (with claws, wings, and fangs added) was published in the Boston Weekly Messenger, with the title The Gerry-Mander

gerrymander in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of gerrymander in the US English dictionary

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