bastinado
/ˌbæstɪˈneɪdoʊ/
verb
- To punish someone by beating the soles of their feet with a stick or rod.
- In the old empire, guards would bastinado prisoners to extract confessions.
- The cruel ruler would bastinado anyone who disobeyed his orders.
- The novel describes how the captain ordered his men to bastinado the stowaway.
noun
- A punishment or form of torture in which the soles of the feet are beaten with a stick or rod.
- Many countries have outlawed bastinado as a cruel and unusual punishment.
- In some historical accounts, bastinado was used as a harsh punishment for minor crimes.
- The prisoner was subjected to bastinado, leaving his feet bruised and swollen.
Synonyms