instrument of punishment
Definition
Noun: An object specifically created and employed to inflict penalty or suffering upon a person who has been found guilty of a crime or offense.
Usage
This term refers to a physical device or tool whose primary purpose is to administer a judicial or disciplinary penalty. * The museum displayed historical instruments of punishment, such as stocks and whips. * The judge stated that the law no longer permitted the use of that particular instrument of punishment.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase can be used metaphorically to describe a system, rule, or situation that causes severe hardship, though this is an extended, figurative sense.
- The new tax law became an instrument of punishment for small business owners.
Variants and Related Words
- Punitive instrument (noun phrase): A less common synonym with the same meaning.
- Punishment (noun): The act or process of punishing.
- Punitive (adjective): Inflicting or intended as punishment.
Synonyms
- Penal tool
- Disciplinary device
Related Phrases
- Means of punishment: A broader phrase that can include non-physical methods (like fines or imprisonment) as well as physical instruments.
- Engine of punishment: A more literary or dramatic synonym.
Noun
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an instrument designed and used to punish a condemned person