English > torturing: 2 senses > noun 1, act| Meaning | The deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason. |
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| Example | "it required unnatural torturing to extract a confession" |
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| Synonym | torture |
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| Narrower | bastinado, falanga | A form of torture in which the soles of the feet are beaten with whips or cudgels |
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| boot | A form of foot torture in which the feet are encased in iron and slowly crushed |
| burning | A form of torture in which cigarettes or cigars or other hot implements are used to burn the victim's skin |
| crucifixion, excruciation | The infliction of extremely painful / painful punishment or suffering |
| dismemberment, taking apart | The removal of limbs |
| electric shock | The use of electricity to administer punishment or torture |
| genital torture | blunt or penetrating trauma or rape (vaginal or anal) |
| judicial torture | torture that is sanctioned by the state and executed by duly accredited officials |
| kia quen | A form of foot torture used by the Chinese in which the victim's foot was placed between three pieces of bamboo and systematically squeezed / squeezed |
| kittee | A form of torture used by American Indians in which sensitive parts of the body were squeezed between two boards until the victim could bear no more |
| nail pulling, nail removal | A form of torture in which the fingernails or toenails are removed |
| picket, piquet | A form of military punishment used by the British in the late 17th century in which a soldier was forced to stand on one foot on a pointed stake |
| prolonged interrogation | A form of psychological torture inflicted by questioning the victim for hours |
| rack | A form of torture in which pain is inflicted by stretching the body |
| sensory deprivation | A form of psychological torture inflicted by depriving the victim of all sensory input |
| sleep deprivation | A form of psychological torture inflicted by depriving the victim of sleep |
| strappado, strapado | 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 |
| Broader | persecution | The act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion) |
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| Spanish | tortura, torturar |
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| Catalan | tortura |
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| Verbs | torture | subject to torture |
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