Dictionary

torturer en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɔː.tju.ɹə(ɹ)/ (dated)
• /ˈtɔː.t͡ʃə.ɹə(ɹ)/ non-rhotic
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtɔɹ.t͡ʃə.ɹəɹ/ rhotic

Etymology

Etymology tree English torture Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English torturer From torture + -er.

Meanings

1. Someone who tortures.
   • My destruction might indeed arrive a few months sooner; but if my torturer should suspect that I postponed it, influenced by his menaces, he would surely find other, and perhaps more dreadful means of revenge. 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter V, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume III, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 102:
   • I play the torturer by ſmall and ſmall / To lengthen out the worſt that muſt be ſpoken: […] 1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], signature F3, recto:
   • The torturers of any form of life torture the life. In this they are not only abominators of form, but haters of nature; and the violationist school is misozoic, life-hating; in continuation of that which it also is, misanthropic, or an enemy of mankind. 1876, James John Garth Wilkinson, On Human Science: Good and Evil, and on Divine Revelation:

Forms

Deriveds

torturess

Translations (51)

ca torturador (one who tortures) · de Folterknecht (one who tortures) · ar جَلَّاد (one who tortures) · uk кат (one who tortures) · sw mtesaji (one who tortures) · ang pīnere (one who tortures) · ru пала́ч (one who tortures) · no torturist (one who tortures) · tr işkenceci (one who tortures) · hu kínzó (one who tortures) · ru мучи́тель (one who tortures) · cs mučitel (one who tortures) · mk ма́чител (one who tortures) · la tortrīx (one who tortures) · vo toman (one who tortures) · grc βασανιστής (one who tortures) · el βασανίστρια (one who tortures) · es torturador (one who tortures) · fr tortionnaire (one who tortures) · hy տանջող (one who tortures) · sh му̀читељ (one who tortures) · mk вади́душа (one who tortures) · fr bourreau (one who tortures) · sv torterare (one who tortures) · it seviziatore (one who tortures) · it aguzzino (one who tortures) · be катава́льнік (one who tortures) · he מענה (one who tortures) · fi kiduttaja (one who tortures) · be мучы́цель (one who tortures) · lt kankintojas (one who tortures) · pt torturador (one who tortures) · it torturatore (one who tortures) · it tormentatore (one who tortures) · gl torturador (one who tortures) · la tortor (one who tortures) · pl kat (one who tortures) · sh mùčitelj (one who tortures) · sk mučiteľ (one who tortures) · ru мучи́тельница (one who tortures) · it tormentatrice (one who tortures) · hi सितमगर (one who tortures) · eo torturisto (one who tortures) · el βασανιστής (one who tortures) · pl oprawca (one who tortures) · bg мъчи́тел (one who tortures) · ro torționar (one who tortures) · uk мучи́тель (one who tortures) · be кат (one who tortures) · cmn 拷問者 /拷问者 (one who tortures) · et piinaja (one who tortures)