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pound of flesh

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
*pound of flesh
Fig. a payment or punishment that involves suffering and sacrifice on the part of the person being punished. (*Typically: give someone ~; owe someone ~; pay someone ~; take ~.) He wants revenge. He won't be satisfied until he takes his pound of flesh.
See also: flesh, pound

your pound of flesh
if someone demands their pound of flesh, they make someone give them something that they owe them, although they do not need it and it will cause problems for the other person
Usage notes: This phrase comes from Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice.
His boss, demanding his pound of flesh, made him come into work even though his daughter was seriously ill.
See also: flesh, pound


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? References in classic literature
He wants Antonio's life, and well he knows if a pound of flesh be cut from this poor merchant's breast he must die.
I'll admit that if Monty were to present himself in London to-morrow and demand his full pound of flesh we should be ruined, but he isn't going to do it.
I have seen him exact his pound of flesh, even at the cost of ruin, from a boy.
 
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