flagellant

[ flaj-uh-luh nt, fluh-jel-uh nt ]
/ 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

flagellating.
severely criticizing: a flagellant attack on the opposition party.

Origin of flagellant

1555–65; < Latin flagellant- (stem of flagellāns) whipping, present participle of flagellāre. See flagellum, -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM flagellant

flag·el·lant·ism, noun

Words nearby flagellant

flag station, flag up, flag-waver, flag-waving, flagella, flagellant, flagellar, flagellar antigen, flagellata, flagellate, flagellated

Example sentences from the Web for flagellants

British Dictionary definitions for flagellants

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, noun

Word Origin for flagellant

C16: from Latin flagellāre to whip, from flagellum