Riot Act (Noun)
Meaning 1
A vigorous reprimand; "I read him the riot act".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The team captain read the new player the riot act for not following team rules during the game.
- When she found out her son was failing all his classes, she read him the riot act about his poor study habits.
- The manager called the employee into her office and read her the riot act for consistently being late to work.
- After the scandal was exposed, the CEO was summoned to the board of directors to be read the riot act.
- The coach read the entire team the riot act after their lackluster performance in the playoffs.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A former English law requiring mobs to disperse after a magistrate reads the law to them.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The authorities attempted to quell the riot by invoking the Riot Act against the rowdy protesters.
- During that tumultuous time, magistrates often read out the Riot Act to violent mobs in an effort to restore order.
- Historians note that the Riot Act was a means to bring chaotic crowds under control by threatening severe repercussions if they failed to disperse.
- With the rise of a potentially volatile situation, the local police chief deemed it necessary to have the Riot Act read aloud to the masses.
- The magistrate's decision to enact the Riot Act helped prevent further escalation of the protests, allowing peace to be restored in the community.