strappado
[ struh-pey-doh, -pah- ]
/ strəˈpeɪ doʊ, -ˈpɑ- /
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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.
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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-hinge, strap-laid, strapless, strapline, strap-oil, strappado, strapped, strapped for, strapper, strapping, strappy
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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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
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