Meaning

noun a wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for the wrists and neck; offenders were locked in and so exposed to public scorn

verb expose to ridicule or public scorn

verb punish by putting in a pillory

originFrom Middle English pilory, pillorie, from Old French pilori, pellori, which is either from Old Occitan espilori or Latin pīla (“pillar”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0