TORTURE

I. noun Etymology: Middle French, from Old French, from Late Latin tortura, from Latin tortus, past participle of torquēre to twist; probably akin to Old High German drāhsil turner, Greek atraktos spindle Date: 1540 1. anguish of body or mind ; agony , something that causes agony or pain, the infliction of intense pain (as from burning, crushing, or wounding) to punish, coerce, or afford sadistic pleasure, distortion or overrefinement of a meaning or an argument ; straining, II. transitive verb (~d; torturing) Date: 1588 to cause intense suffering to ; torment , to punish or coerce by inflicting excruciating pain, to twist or wrench out of shape ; distort , warp , see: afflict ~r noun