Function: noun
Etymology: the Riot Act, English law of 1715 providing for the dispersal of riots upon command of legal authority
Date: 1819
: a vigorous reprimand or warning ― used in the phrase read the riot act
Function: noun
Etymology: the Riot Act, English law of 1715 providing for the dispersal of riots upon command of legal authority
Date: 1819
: a vigorous reprimand or warning ― used in the phrase read the riot act
Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary. Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка. 2012