strappado
/stræ'peidou/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A form of torture: A specific historical method of torture where the victim's hands are bound behind their back. They are then hoisted into the air by a rope attached to their bound wrists and dropped, with the rope jerking them to a sudden stop before they hit the ground.
Usage
- Noun: "Strappado" is a historical term, primarily used in discussions of medieval or early modern punishment, judicial systems, or historical accounts.
- It functions as a countable noun (e.g., the strappado, a strappado).
- It often appears with verbs like use, employ, undergo, suffer, or describe.
Examples
- Noun:
- The prisoner confessed after being threatened with the strappado.
- Historical records describe the strappado as a common interrogation method during the Inquisition.
- The museum exhibit included a detailed model of a strappado device.
Advanced Usage
- "to put someone to the strappado": This is a historical phrase meaning to subject someone to this form of torture.
- The inquisitors threatened to put the heretic to the strappado.
Variants and Related Words
- No common variants exist for the noun "strappado". It is a specific, fixed term.
- Related Concept: Torture (n): The general act of inflicting severe pain.
- Related Concept: Questioning (n): The process of interrogation, often historically associated with such methods.
Synonyms
- Torture method: A general term for a technique of inflicting pain.
- (Historical) Punishment: A penalty inflicted for an offense.
Antonyms
- Comfort (n): A state of physical ease.
- Kindness (n): The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Notes
- Word Origin: The word "strappado" comes from the Italian , meaning "a pull, a tug."
- Modern Context: The word is almost exclusively used in historical, academic, or literary contexts. It is not used in contemporary legal or penal discussions.
Noun
- a form of torture in which the hands are tied behind a person's back and they are lifted off the ground by a rope tied to their wrists, then allowed to drop until their fall is checked with a jerk by the rope