strappado: Meaning and Definition of

strap•pa•do

Pronunciation: (stru-pā'dō, -pä'-), [key]
— pl. -does.
  1. an old form of punishment or torture in which the victim, with arms bound behind, was raised from the ground by a rope fastened to the wrists, abruptly released, then arrested with a painful jerk just before reaching the ground.
  2. the instrument used for this purpose.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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