trial by ordeal en · NOUN
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) An archaic practice by which a person accused of a crime could prove their innocence by their survival of physically painful tests.
Along with trial by ordeal, hanging was the most effective deterrent that could be devised in an age without police or prisons.
1999, Robert Lacey, Danny Danziger, The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of The First Millennium, London: Abacus, published 2000, page 175:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| trials by ordeal | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (3)
fr ordalie (practice) · pt ordália (practice) · th จารีตนครบาล (practice)