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.

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

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