[ad. L. lapidātiōn-em, n. of action f. lapidare: see prec.]
1. spec. The punishment of stoning to death.
1611. Florio, Lapidatione, a Lapidation, a stoning.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., II. v. § 3. Gods own messengers [were] punished with the death of seducers, which was lapidation.
1767. trans. Beccaria’s Ess. Crimes, p. vii. Priscilianists had been put to death by the sword, the halter, and by lapidation.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 628. Punishments … flaying alive, lapidation, plucking out the eyes.
1830. D’Israeli, Chas. I., III. xv. 328. A man gathering faggots in a wood was condemned to the punishment of lapidation.
1855. R. F. Burton, El-Medinah, II. xxi. 281. Adultery, if detected, would be punished by lapidation, according to the rigour of the Koranic law.
2. gen. The action or process of throwing stones; pelting with stones.
1802. A. Ranken, Hist. France, II. IV. ii. 291. He was invulnerable by either fire or lions, or popular lapidation.
1844. For. Q. Rev., XXXIII. 94. The people … treated them to a taste of lapidation.
1879. Temple Bar, LVI. 497. The tenants are too hungry to take interest in the lapidation of the devoted animal [a donkey].
fig. 1864. Sat. Rev., 24 Dec., 766/2. Quite content to await the lapidation that is in store for us from Chairmen and Secretaries.
