Gerrymander

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də/

Definitions

1. The manipulation of electoral boundaries is undertaken to provide an unfair advantage to a particular political party or group
2. This involves strategically redrawing districts to influence electoral outcomes in favor of one faction
3. The act of altering political district lines occurs in order to create an electoral advantage for a specific party or demographic group

Etymology: Elbridge Gerry, governor of Massachusetts, signed a new electoral district map into law in 1812, and the shape of one district so resembled a salamander that the Boston Gazette mocked it in print that March. Its editors fused Gerry's name with "salamander" to create a new word, and the cartoon that accompanied the article, drawn by Elkanah Tisdale, showed the district with wings, claws and a tail. The original text is likely the work of Nathan Hale and Benjamin and John Russell, who wrote it to ridicule the redrawing. The coinage is a blend of "Gerry" and "salamander," and the salamander itself traces back through Latin "salamandra" to ancient Greek "salamándra," a name for a fire-dwelling lizard-like creature. The mythological creature was supposed to survive flames, which made the comparison a pointed jab at a politician who had bent the map to his own advantage. Gerry's surname begins with a hard G, yet the word is usually said with a soft G, as if spelled "jerry." That pronunciation arose from the spelling rather than from the name itself.

Synonyms: manipulate, district, rearrange, redistrict, alter

Antonyms: unmanipulate, restore, revert, maintain, preserve