torture
See also: torturé
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English torture, from Old French torture, from Late Latin tortūra (“a twisting, writhing, of bodily pain, a griping colic;” in Medieval Latin “pain inflicted by judicial or ecclesiastical authority as a means of persuasion, torture”), from Latin tortus (whence also tort), past participle of torquēre (“to twist”).
Pronunciation edit
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɔɹt͡ʃɚ/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɔːt͡ʃə(ɹ)/
- Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)tʃə(ɹ)
Audio (US) (file) - Homophone: torcher
- Hyphenation: tor‧ture
Noun edit
torture (countable and uncountable, plural tortures)
- The intentional causing of somebody's experiencing of agony, usually as an interrogation technique or punishment.
- 2014 January, Claire Kramsch, “Language and Culture”, in AILA Review[1], volume 27, number 5, John Benjamins, , →ISSN, page 35:
- If Cheney calls it enhanced interrogation, he argues, this still doesn’t change the meaning of the word torture, which Cheney and the public know perfectly well. But cognitive linguists like Lakoff (1996) remind us that the public can be manipulated into believing that torture is “merely” an enhanced interrogation technique and thus does not protest.
- 2015 November 30, Shane O'Mara, Why Torture Doesn’t Work: The Neuroscience of Interrogation[2], Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 12:
- Santorum, in a comment regarding Senator John McCain's repudiation of torture, stated, "He doesn't understand how enhanced interrogation works. I mean, you break somebody, and after they've broken they become cooperative" (Summers 2011).
- Using large dogs to attack bound, hand-cuffed prisoners is clearly torture.
- In every war there are acts of torture that cause the world to shudder.
- Synonym: enhanced interrogation techniques
- (chiefly literary) The "suffering of the heart" imposed by one on another, as in personal relationships.
- Every time she says 'goodbye' it is torture!
- Coventry City midfielder Josh Ruffels described his 11 months out injured as 'absolute torture' after the goalless draw with Derby County Under-21s. ([3])
- (colloquial) (often as "absolute torture") Stage fright; severe embarrassment.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
intentional causing of somebody's experiencing agony
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"suffering of heart" imposed by one on another, in personal relationships
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Verb edit
torture (third-person singular simple present tortures, present participle torturing, simple past and past participle tortured)
- (transitive) To intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone), usually with the aim of forcing confessions or punishing them.
- People who torture often have sadistic tendencies.
- In the aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but, we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
to intentionally inflict unnecessary pain or suffering on helpless victims
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Further reading edit
- “torture”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “torture”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “torture”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams edit
Asturian edit
Verb edit
torture
French edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Late Latin tortūra, from Latin tortus, from torqueō.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
torture f (plural tortures)
- torture
- 1837, Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manchefr.Wikisource, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Volume I, Chapter I:
- Avec ces propos et d’autres semblables, le pauvre gentilhomme perdait le jugement. Il passait les nuits et se donnait la torture pour les comprendre, pour les approfondir, pour leur tirer le sens des entrailles, ce qu’Aristote lui-même n’aurait pu faire, s’il fût ressuscité tout exprès pour cela.
- With these passages and other similar ones, the poor gentleman lost his judgement. He spent his nights and gave himself torture to understand them, to consider them more deeply, to take from them their deepest meaning, which Aristotle himself would not have been able to do, had he been resurrected for that very purpose.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
- → Swedish: tortyr c
Verb edit
torture
- inflection of torturer:
Further reading edit
- “torture”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Galician edit
Verb edit
torture
- inflection of torturar:
Italian edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
torture f
Anagrams edit
Latin edit
Pronunciation edit
- (Classical) IPA(key): /torˈtuː.re/, [t̪ɔrˈt̪uːrɛ]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /torˈtu.re/, [t̪orˈt̪uːre]
Participle edit
tortūre
Portuguese edit
Pronunciation edit
- Hyphenation: tor‧tu‧re
Verb edit
torture
- inflection of torturar:
Spanish edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
torture
- inflection of torturar: