boycott
UK[ˈbɔɪkɒt]US[ˈbɔɪkɑːt]
v
to refuse to buy, use, or participate in something as a way of protesting.
n
an act of boycotting a person, organization, or country.
Etymology
the term originates from the name of captain charles c. boycott, a british land agent in ireland during the 19th century. in 1880, the irish land league ostracized him for refusing to lower rents, leading to a campaign where tenants refused to work his land and local businesses denied him service. his surname was swiftly adopted into the english lexicon to describe this form of collective, non-violent protest and economic coercion. it is a classic example of an eponym, where a person's name becomes a word for a general concept based on a specific historical incident.
Analysis
this is a proper noun converted into a common verb and noun. it is not composed of classical morphemes and therefore cannot be segmented based on its english spelling.
Examples
several countries decided to boycott the international conference in protest of the host nation's policies.
the consumer boycott against the company led to a significant drop in sales.
they organized a boycott of the store until it improved its labor practices.