noun
- the inflicting of severe pain to force information or confession, get revenge, etc.
- any method by which such pain is inflicted
- any severe physical or mental pain; agony; anguish
- a cause of such pain or agony
- Rare a violent twisting, distortion, perversion, etc.
Origin:
Fr < LL tortura, a twisting, torture < pp. of L torquere, to twist: see tort
transitive verb tortured, torturing
- to subject to torture
- to cause extreme physical or mental pain to; agonize
- to twist or distort (meaning, language, etc.)