Simon Legree

noun

Si·​mon Le·​gree ˌsī-mən-lə-ˈgrē How to pronounce Simon Legree (audio)
: a slave owner who has Tom flogged to death in Harriet B. Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin

Examples of Simon Legree in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Samuel Pinchard, the plantation owner, is a literary descendent of Simon Legree, but Jeffers has drawn him in the full height of psychological complexity. Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Simon Legree was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near Simon Legree

Cite this Entry

“Simon Legree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Simon%20Legree. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!