▪ I. ˈhorse-pond, n.
A pond for watering and washing horses; proverbial as a ducking-place for obnoxious persons.
| 1701 Cibber Love Makes Man i. i, I han't much Land to spare; but I have an admirable Horse-Pond—I'll settle that upon him, if you will. 1713 Addison Guardian No. 136 ¶4 Led into a horsepond by a Will of the Whisp. 1746 Brit. Mag. 101 If old Bettenson had ordered him to have been dragg'd through a Horse-pond. 1843 A. Bethune Sc. Fireside Stor. 62 He intended..to take a third individual to a horse-pond..and duck him head and ears three times. |
▪ II. ˈhorse-pond, v.
[f. prec. n.]
trans. To duck in or drag through a horse-pond.
| 1757 Garrick Male Coquette i. 13 If I go again, Sir, may I be caned, kicked, and horseponded for my pains. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia vi. x, Not only horsewhipt, but horse⁓ponded. 1884 Church Reformer III. 79 [They] will not readily forget his suggestion of horse-ponding their leaders as a substitute for redressing their grievances. |