Extreme pain; anguish of body or mind; pang; agony; torment. Ghastly spasm or racking torture.

Severe pain inflicted judicially, either as a punishment for a crime, or for the purpose of extorting a confession from an accused person. Torture may be and is inflicted in a variety of ways, as by water or fire, or by the boot or thumbkin. But the most usual mode is by the rack or wheel.

To pain to extremity; to torment.

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

To vex; to harass.

To keep on the stretch, as a bow.