thumbscrew
English
Etymology
From thumb + screw.
Noun
thumbscrew (plural thumbscrews)
- A screw that can be turned with the thumb and fingers.
- An instrument of torture used to crush the fingers.
- (figuratively) A weakness that can be taken advantage of.
- Law 33: Discover Each Man's Thumbscrew ― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power
Synonyms
- (torture instrument): pilliwinks
Translations
type of screw
|
|
torture instrument
|
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
|