noun Date: 1788 an instrument of torture for compressing the thumb by a screw, a screw having a flat-sided or knurled head so that it may be turned by the thumb and index finger
THUMBSCREW
Meaning of THUMBSCREW in English
Merriam Webster. Explanatory English dictionary Merriam Webster. Толковый словарь английского языка Мерриам-Уэбстер. 2012