GALLOWS

[noun] [C] [plural] gallows - a wooden structure used, esp. in the past, to hang criminals from as a form of execution (= killing as a punishment)New witnesses have cast doubt on some of the evidence that sent the 19 year old to the gallows.Gallows humour refers to jokes or humorous remarks that are made about unpleasant or worrying subjects such as death and illness.There was a lot of gallows humour about job security on the day the job losses were announced.