Instrument Of Torture (Noun)
Meaning
An instrument of punishment designed and used to inflict torture on the condemned person.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The rack was a notorious instrument of torture used during the Spanish Inquisition to extract confessions from those accused of heresy.
- In medieval times, the breaking wheel was a gruesome instrument of torture and execution used to kill and maim convicted prisoners.
- The iron maiden was a legendary instrument of torture said to be used in the Middle Ages, capable of crushing its victims with spiked interior surfaces.
- The thumbscrew was a cruel instrument of torture used to extract confessions by applying pressure to the thumbs of the accused.
- During the French Revolution, the guillotine was perfected as an instrument of torture and execution, designed to behead aristocrats and commoners alike with swift efficiency.