Thumbscrew - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
A thumbscrew is a small metal device used to apply pressure or torture by tightening it around a person's thumb. It can also refer to a type of screw tightened by hand.
Definition:
A screw with a winged head turned by thumb and forefinger, or a torture device compressing the thumb.
Synonyms:
clamp, vise, fastener, torture device
Part of Speech:
noun
Antonyms:
release, freedom
Common Collocations:
tighten the thumbscrew, loosen the thumbscrew, apply the thumbscrew
Derivatives:
thumbscrews (plural), thumbscrewing (gerund)
Usage Tips:
Use "thumbscrew" literally for fasteners or metaphorically for pressure tactics; ensure context clarifies meaning.
Common Phrases:
turn the thumbscrew, under the thumbscrew, tighten the thumbscrew
Etymology:
From "thumb" + "screw," first recorded in the 17th century as a tool and torture device.
Examples:
- 1. The carpenter tightened the thumbscrew to secure the joint.
- 2. Historically, interrogators used a thumbscrew to extract confessions painfully.
- 3. She adjusted the microscope’s focus using the small thumbscrew.
- 4. The villain threatened to apply the thumbscrew if his demands weren’t met.