English → Latin
“torture” in Latin
tormentuman engine for hurling missiles; a shot or missile thrown by this, artillery; a (twisted) cord or rope; an instrument of carnificīnathe office of executioner; capital punishment, execution; torture, tormentcruciōto crucify; to torturefidiculaea small stringed instrument, a small lute or citherntabulārisboardsignisfire; beacon, signal by firetorqueōto spin, whirl, twirl, turn, cause to revolve; to twist, wind, bend awry, distort; to hurl violently, twirl (around the extorqueōto obtain or take away by force, extort; to tear away, twist away, wrench outexcarnificōto tear to pieces, butcheriniciōto throw, cast, hurl or place in, on, into, upon, over or at; to grasp, seize, take hold of, lay one's hands upon; to se
The English word torture itself goes back to Latin torqueō, through tortūra.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
torture s.
Torment, Vid:
Pain, as a punishment, tormenta, -orum, neuter (torture applied in order to extort confession; then = the instrument used for that purpose: such were equuleus, the rack; fidiculae, ropes or cords so used; tabulares; the two former were for stretching out the limbs, the latter for pressing the body together; ignis, fire; Vid: Sen., De Ir., 3, 19, 1, Ruhnken): carnificina (the act of torturing; then, also, the place of torture, Liv., 2, 23): carnificinae locus (place of torture, Suet., Tib., 62): cruciatus (the pain occasioned by being tortured; also, figuratively). Examination by torture, quaestio ac tormenta: to examine by torture, tormentis quaerere or quaestionem habere; tormentis quaerere or fidiculis exquirere de aliquo; tormentis interrogare aliquem: to put anybody to torture, aliquem dare in tormenta or in cruciatum; dedere aliquem tormentis; tormenta alicui admovere: to be obliged to submit to torture, carnificinam subire; tormentis excruciari; in equuleum conjici or imponi or ire: to bear or endure torture, vim tormentorum perferre: to maintain the truth under torture, vi tormentorum adductum in veritate manere: not even to be satisfied with his execution, unless it was accompanied with torture, ne simplici quidem genere mortis contentum esse (Liv., 4, 24).
torture v.
torquere (PROP. and figuratively): extorquere: excarnificare (PROP. and figuratively): in equuleum imponere, injicere, conjicere (PROP.): cruciare: excruciare (PROP. and figuratively): cruciatus alicui admovere: cruciatu aliquem afficere (to be tortured). To be tortured by conscience, conscientia morderi (Marcus Tullius Cic., Tusc., 4, 20, 45); agitari conscientiae angore fraudisque cruciatu (Marcus Tullius Cic., De Legg., 1, 14, 40); me stimulant conscientiae maleficiorum meorum (Marcus Tullius Cic., Parad., 2, §18).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for torture?
- The usual Latin words for “torture” are tormentum, carnificīna, cruciō; also fidiculae, tabulāris, ignis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.