bastinado

noun

Meaning

A form of corporal punishment involving the beating of the soles of the feet with a stick or cane.

Examples

  • Historical accounts describe the bastinado as a common method of torture in various parts of the Middle East and Asia.
  • The judge ordered that the thief be subjected to a bastinado to ensure he would never walk comfortably again.

Synonyms: flogging, caning, corporal punishment, flagellation