woolsack
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.35 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A seat made of wool; (specifically) the traditional seat of the British Lord Chancellor (since 2006 of the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords); hence (by metonymy) the post of Lord-Chancellor.
Example Sentences
- "We shall never beat the French says one, why truly replied I, 'tis like kicking at a Woolsack—there is perpetual Resistance made, & a strange Elasticity […]."
- "“O rare-painted portrait!” exclaimed Rashleigh, when I was silent—“Vandyke was a dauber to you, Frank. I see thy sire before me in all his strength and weakness, loving and honouring the King as a sort of lord mayor of the empire, or chief of the board of trade;—venerating the Commons, for the acts regulating the export trade;—and respecting the Peers, because the Lord Chancellor sits on a wool-sack.”"
- "On entering the House, he is described to have appeared abashed and pale: he passed the woolsack without looking round, and advanced to the table where the proper officer was attending to administer the oaths."
- "Well, Dick," rejoined Sir Wynston, merrily, "if both are to be fulfilled, or neither, I trust you may never sit upon the woolsack of England.""
- "But when the Lord Chancellor left the woolsack to congratulate him, and with a smiling face extended his hand, the embittered young peer bowed coldly and stiffly, and simply held out two or three of his fingers,--an act of impudence for which there was no excuse."