instrument of torture
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˈɪnstrəmənt əv ˈtɔːrtʃər/
- NSFW
:
instrumento de tortura
- The museum displayed an ancient instrument of torture that was used in medieval times to punish criminals.
Examples
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It is agonizing indeed to watch one of these instruments of torture and death being wielded by the large and frenzied against the small and helpless; but the rules of diplomacy forbid our intervention.
Fiction book (2002) -
During the trial, the defendant was shown various instruments of torture that were used historically to extract confessions.
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Why, this looks like an instrument of torture.
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The instrument of torture that failed to harm her will be called the Catherine wheel.
Fiction book (1994) -
Blast these newfangled instruments of torture.
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And it's not really a toe screw (which is an official instrument of torture).
Blog text (19) -
Black-hooded inquisitors lean over her chest, employing instruments of torture.
Fiction book (2000) -
Moving to our right, we have a model of the famous rack, the instrument of torture upon which prisoners were stretched, their limbs being frequently torn from their sockets in an effort to extract a confession from them... true or false.
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In the novel, the villain used a terrifying instrument of torture to intimidate his captives into submission.
Surface Forms
Morphology
instrument + of + torture
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'instrument' (a tool or device) with 'torture' (the intentional infliction of pain), with 'of' simply linking the two nouns. This straightforward noun-of-noun compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English grammar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Instrument of torture is a plain description: an instrument is a tool and torture means very strong pain. In the past people made special tools to 'cause pain' or 'punish' others, so today the phrase means any device used to hurt someone to 'force' information or punish them.