Discommendation is a legal penalty in the Klingon Empire in which an individual is ceremonially shunned: stripped of honor and severely reduced in social status with few rights in Klingon society.
The ceremony in which this punishment is meted out is simple. The highest-ranked Klingon crosses his or her arms and turns his or her back on the recipient while others follow suit one by one until almost all Klingons have their backs turned. The speed of this gesture varies, from formal ceremonies which are done slowly to summary punishments which can occur as quickly as the Klingons in judgment can move.
If a Klingon leader decides to restore a discommendated Klingon's honor, he ceremonially presents his personal dagger for the Klingon to grasp by the blade tightly enough to draw blood. With this gesture, the leader states "I give you back your family honor. I give you back what was wrongfully taken from you. Let your name be spoken once again." After which, the proper name and lineage of the Klingon is stated by the leader.