impiccato

Impiccato is an Italian term with two common uses. As an adjective or past participle, impiccato describes someone who has been executed by hanging. In historical or legal contexts, an impiccato is a person who underwent capital punishment by hanging. The word is formed from the verb impiccare (to hang), with impiccato serving as the passive participle.

In everyday language, impiccato also refers to the game Hangman (gioco dell'impiccato). In this word-guessing game, one player thinks of a word or phrase, and the other tries to reveal it by guessing letters. Each incorrect guess adds a segment to a drawing of a hangman and the game ends either when the word is fully revealed or the drawing is completed.

The term is used across various contexts to denote hanging as a method of execution, as well as in cultural representations of the game. While the primary senses are straightforward, the word can appear in literature or media to describe characters or scenes involving hanging or the attempt to guess a hidden word.