strappado

[ struh-pey-doh, -pah- ]
/ strəˈpeɪ doʊ, -ˈpɑ- /

noun, plural strap·pa·does.

an old form of punishment or torture in which the victim, with arms bound behind, was raised from the ground by a rope fastened to the wrists, abruptly released, then arrested with a painful jerk just before reaching the ground.
the instrument used for this purpose.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of strappado

1550–60; alteration of Middle French strapade or its source, Italian strappata a sharp pull or tug, equivalent to strapp- (stem of strappare to snatch (< Gothic strappan to stretch) + -ata -ade1

Words nearby strappado

strap-oil, straphang, straphanger, strapless, strapline, strappado, strapped, strapped for, strapper, strapping, strappy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for strappado

British Dictionary definitions for strappado

strappado
/ (strəˈpeɪdəʊ, -ˈpɑː-) /

noun plural -does

a system of torture in which a victim was hoisted by a rope tied to his wrists and then allowed to drop until his fall was suddenly checked by the rope

Word Origin for strappado

C16: from French strapade, from Italian strappare to tug sharply, probably of Germanic origin; related to German (dialect) strapfen to make taut
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