Hoist With His Own Petard Means Blown Up by His Own Bomb
To hoist is to raise something with equipment. The Shakespearean phrase about a petard is widely used and rarely understood.
To hoist is to raise something, especially with ropes or machinery. The phrase *hoist with his own petard* is from Hamlet and means blown into the air by your own bomb: a petard was a small explosive charge used to breach a gate, and it frequently killed the engineer who placed it. *Hoist* here is an old past participle meaning lifted, not a reference to flags. The French *pétard* comes from a verb meaning to break wind, which is how the device sounded.
- To raise. *Hoist the sail.*
- A lifting device. *A goods hoist.*
- Hoist with his own petard — undone by his own scheme. *Hoist with his own petard.*
- Petard — a small bomb. *A petard.*
- Winch — a related lifting tool. *A winch.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | hoist | Hoist it up. |
| Past | hoisted | They hoisted it. |
| Noun | hoist | A chain hoist. |
| Old participle | hoist | Hoist with. |
| French | pétard | A small bomb. |
- They hoisted the flag at dawn.Raising.
- The goods hoist is out of order.Machinery.
- He was hoist with his own petard.Shakespeare.
Shakespeare phrases in daily use
- Hoist with his own petard — Hamlet
- Wild goose chase — Romeo and Juliet
- In a pickle — The Tempest
- Break the ice — The Taming of the Shrew
- Wear your heart on your sleeve — Othello
An alteration of the earlier *hoise*, probably from Middle Dutch *hijsen*, to hoist.
What is a petard?
A small explosive charge used to blow open gates. The engineer setting it was often killed by the blast.
Is it hoist by or hoist with his own petard?
Shakespeare wrote with. Both are now used, and hoist here means lifted, not hoisted like a flag.