flagellant
[ flaj-uh-luhnt, fluh-jel-uhnt ]
/ ˈflædʒ ə lənt, fləˈdʒɛl ənt /
noun
a person who flagellates or scourges himself or herself for religious discipline.
a person who derives sexual pleasure from whipping or being whipped by another person.
(often initial capital letter) one of a medieval European sect of fanatics who practiced scourging in public.
adjective
severely criticizing: a flagellant attack on the opposition party.
QUIZZES
IT’S A WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ BONANZA!
This windfall of words will make you rich with knowledge. Mine your memory on the words from July 27 to August 2!
Question 1 of 7
What does "scattergood" mean?
a person who acts as though he or she knows everything and who dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others.
a person who spends possessions or money extravagantly or wastefully; spendthrift.
a well-intentioned but naive and often ineffectual social or political reformer.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTOrigin of flagellant
OTHER WORDS FROM flagellant
flag·el·lant·ism, nounWords nearby flagellant
flacon, flag, flag captain, flag day, flag down, flagellant, flagellar, flagellar antigen, Flagellata, flagellate, flagellated
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for flagellant
British Dictionary definitions for flagellant
flagellant
flagellator (ˈflædʒɪˌleɪtə)
/ (ˈflædʒɪlənt, fləˈdʒɛlənt) /
noun
a person who whips himself or others either as part of a religious penance or for sexual gratification
(often capital) (in medieval Europe) a member of a religious sect who whipped themselves in public
Derived forms of flagellant
flagellantism, nounWord Origin for flagellant
C16: from Latin flagellāre to whip, from flagellum
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012