different between blackmail vs honeypot

English

Etymology

From black + mail (“a piece of money”). Compare Middle English blak rente (“a type of blackmail levied by Irish chieftains”).

The word is variously derived from the tribute paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to Border Reivers in return for immunity from raids and other harassment. This tribute was paid in goods or labour, in Latin reditus nigri "blackmail"; the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi "white rent", denoting payment by silver. Alternatively, McKay derives it from two Scottish Gaelic words blàthaich, pronounced (the th silent) bl-aich, "to protect" and màl (“tribute, payment”). He notes that the practice was common in the Highlands of Scotland as well as the Borders.

More likely, from black (adj.) + Middle English mal, male, maile (“a payment, rent, tribute”), from Old English m?l (“speech, contract, agreement, lawsuit, terms, bargaining”), from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”); related to Old English mæðel "meeting, council," mæl "speech," Gothic ???????????????? (maþl) "meeting place," from Proto-Germanic *maþl?, from PIE *mod- "to meet, assemble" (see meet (v.)). From the practice of freebooting clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against Scottish farmers. Black from the evil of the practice. Expanded c.1826 to any type of extortion money. Compare silver mail "rent paid in money" (1590s); buttock-mail (Scottish, 1530s) "fine imposed for fornication."

Pronunciation

Noun

blackmail (uncountable)

1. The extortion of money or favours by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.
2. (archaic) A form of protection money (or corn, cattle, etc.) anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to the allies of robbers in order to be spared from pillage.
3. (England law, historical) Black rent, or rent paid in corn, meat, or the lowest coin, as opposed to white rent, which was paid in silver.
4. Compromising material that can be used to extort someone, dirt.

Derived terms

• emotional blackmail
• post-attack blackmail

Translations

Verb

blackmail (third-person singular simple present blackmails, present participle blackmailing, simple past and past participle blackmailed)

1. (transitive) To extort money or favors from (a person) by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, such as injury to reputation, distress of mind, false accusation, etc.

   He blackmailed a businesswoman by threatening to expose an alleged fraud.

2. (Kenya) To speak ill of someone; to defame someone.

Translations

Related terms

• graymail, whitemail, greenmail

See also

• extortion
• protection racket

Scots

Etymology

From black (“bad”) +? mail (“rent”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?bl?k???l/, /?bl?k???l/
• (Southern Scotland) IPA^(key): /?bl??k????l/

Noun

blackmail (uncountable)

1. (archaic) A tribute paid, usually in kind, to reivers or raiders as a form of protection money.
2. Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation.

Verb

blackmail (third-person singular present blackmails, present participle blackmailin, past blackmailt, past participle blackmailt)

1. To extort money from another by means of intimidation.

English

Alternative forms

• honey pot

Etymology

honey +? pot

Pronunciation

• enPR: h?n'?-p?t

Noun

honeypot (plural honeypots)

1. A pot of honey.
2. (figuratively) Something or someone similarly sweet or enticing, particularly:
   1. (US slang, dated) A romantic pet name; "honey".
   2. (slang) A vulva or vagina.
      • 2011, Mechele Armstrong, Code Monkey ?ISBN:

        "[S]he had the boss eating from her honeypot." Baxter rolled his eyes at the crude term for pussy, but Rodney did have a point.

   3. (espionage) A spy (typically attractive and female) who uses sex to trap and blackmail a target.
      • 1989, The Washingtonian, vol. 24, page 25.

      • 1996, John H. Waller, The Unseen War in Europe: Espionage and Conspiracy in the Second World War, Random House, ?ISBN, page 226.

      • 2004, Richard C.S. Trahair, Encyclopedia of Cold War Espionage, Spies, and Secret Operations, Greenwood Press, ?ISBN, page 353.

   4. A woman who attracts sexual attention from men.
   5. (computer security) A trap set to detect or deflect attempts at unauthorized use of information systems.
      • 2007, "Data leak: Cyber sherlocks outwit hackers," The Economic Times, 12 Oct. (retrieved 29 June 2008),

        Computer experts install honeypots to trick hackers.

   6. (chiefly Britain) A draw: a place which attracts visitors.
      • 2004, Bernice Davidson, "England 2004: Bright lights on the water," Telegraph.co.uk, 13 Mar. (retrieved 28 June 2008),

        Superb Roman remains, Georgian architecture and countless museums justify Bath's position as a tourist honeypot.

3. (obsolete, euphemistic) A chamberpot.
4. (obsolete, euphemistic) A slop bucket.

Synonyms

• (vagina): See Thesaurus:vagina
• (chamber pot): See Thesaurus:chamber pot
• (honey pit): See Thesaurus:outhouse

Related terms

• honeynet
• honeytoken
• honeytrap

Translations

Portuguese

Noun

honeypot m (plural honeypots)

1. (computer security) honeypot (a trap set to detect or deflect attempts at unauthorised use of information systems)

   Synonym: pote de mel