Associations to the word «Thumbscrew»

Wiktionary

THUMBSCREW, noun. A screw that can be turned with the thumb and fingers
THUMBSCREW, noun. An instrument of torture used to crush the fingers

Dictionary definition

THUMBSCREW, noun. Instrument of torture that crushes the thumb.
THUMBSCREW, noun. Screw designed to be turned with the thumb and fingers.

Wise words

A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.