(~s)
1.
Punishment is the act of punishing someone or of being punished.
...a group which campaigns against the physical ~ of children...
I have no doubt that the man is guilty and that he deserves ~.
N-UNCOUNT
2.
A ~ is a particular way of punishing someone.
The government is proposing tougher ~s for officials convicted of corruption...
N-VAR
3.
You can use ~ to refer to severe physical treatment of any kind.
Don’t expect these types of boot to take the ~ that gardening will give them.
N-UNCOUNT
4.
see also capital ~ , corporal ~