Torquemada, Tomás de

[ (toh-mahs thhay tawr-kuh-mah-thhuh) ]


The first inquisitor-general of the Inquisition in Spain, in the late fifteenth century. Torquemada was known for his severity.

Words Nearby Torquemada, Tomás de

Cultural definitions for Torquemada, Tomás de (2 of 2)

Torquemada, Tomás de

[ (toh-mahs thhay tawr-kuh-mah-thhuh) ]


The first inquisitor-general of the Inquisition in Spain, in the late fifteenth century. Torquemada was known for his severity.

Notes for Torquemada, Tomás de

Torquemada's name has come to symbolize ruthless persecution.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for Torquemada, Tomás de (1 of 2)

Torquemada, Tomás de

[ (toh-mahs thhay tawr-kuh-mah-thhuh) ]


The first inquisitor-general of the Inquisition in Spain, in the late fifteenth century. Torquemada was known for his severity.

Torquemada, Tomás de

[ (tawr-kuh-mah-thhuh) ]


The first inquisitor-general of the Inquisition in Spain, in the late fifteenth century. Torquemada was known for his severity, especially with persons who were charged with illegally practicing Judaism. It is estimated that two thousand people were executed while he was in charge of the Inquisition.

Notes for Torquemada, Tomás de

Torquemada's name has come to symbolize ruthless persecution.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.