Tor"ture (?), n. [F.,fr.L. tortura, fr. torquere, tortum, to twist, rack, torture; probably akin to Gr. tre`pein to turn, G. drechsein to turn on a lathe, and perhaps to E. queer. Cf. Contort, Distort, Extort, Retort, Tart, n., Torch, Torment, Tortion, Tort, Trope.] 1. Extreme pain; anguish of body or mind; pang; agony; torment; as, torture of mind. Shak.

Ghastly spasm or racking torture.

2. Especially, severe pain inflicted judicially, either as punishment for a crime, or for the purpose of extorting a confession from an accused person, as by water or fire, by the boot or thumbkin, or by the rack or wheel.

3. The act or process of torturing.

Torture, whitch had always been deciared illegal, and which had recently been declared illegal even by the servile judges of that age, was inflicted for the last time in England in the month of May, 1640.

Tor"ture, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tortured (&?;; 135); p. pr. & vb. n. Torturing.] [Cf. F. Torturer. ] 1. To put to torture; to pain extremely; to harass; to vex.

2. To punish with torture; to put to the rack; as, to torture an accused person. Shak.

3. To wrest from the proper meaning; to distort. Jar. Taylor.

4. To keep on the stretch, as a bow. [Obs.]

The bow tortureth the string.

Tor"ture (?), n. [F.,fr.L. tortura, fr. torquere, tortum, to twist, rack, torture; probably akin to Gr. tre`pein to turn, G. drechsein to turn on a lathe, and perhaps to E. queer. Cf. Contort, Distort, Extort, Retort, Tart, n., Torch, Torment, Tortion, Tort, Trope.] 1. Extreme pain; anguish of body or mind; pang; agony; torment; as, torture of mind. Shak.

Ghastly spasm or racking torture.

2. Especially, severe pain inflicted judicially, either as punishment for a crime, or for the purpose of extorting a confession from an accused person, as by water or fire, by the boot or thumbkin, or by the rack or wheel.

3. The act or process of torturing.

Torture, whitch had always been deciared illegal, and which had recently been declared illegal even by the servile judges of that age, was inflicted for the last time in England in the month of May, 1640.

Tor"ture, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tortured (&?;; 135); p. pr. & vb. n. Torturing.] [Cf. F. Torturer. ] 1. To put to torture; to pain extremely; to harass; to vex.

2. To punish with torture; to put to the rack; as, to torture an accused person. Shak.

3. To wrest from the proper meaning; to distort. Jar. Taylor.

4. To keep on the stretch, as a bow. [Obs.]

The bow tortureth the string.

• Certain, clearly defined acts perpetrated against helpless prisoners, to force them to suffer excruciating pain and discomfort.
  
• cruel and outrageous acts that terrorize helpless prisoners to force or coerce them to react in a way that satisfies the torturer.
       Allowing large dogs to attack bound, hand-cuffed prisoners is clearly torture.
  
• Any act committed by an official of a government against a prisoner of war which could cause undue pain, as clearly defined by many international agreements.
       In every war there are acts of torture that cause the world to shudder.
  
• (mainly literary) The "suffering of the heart" imposed by one on another, as in personal relationships.
       Every time she says 'goodbye' it is torture!
  
• The act of performing illegal acts of pain or suffering on helpless prisoners.
       People who commit acts of torture often have sadistic tendencies.