Flagellation
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 Beating, or an instance of beating, consisting of lashes, notably as corporal punishment or mortification, such as a whipping or scourging. countable, uncountable
"As a means of restoring vigor to the generative organs, flagellation was recommended by the ancient physicians as an effectual remedy, in accordance with the Hippocratic principle of ubi stimulus, ibi affluxus."
- 2 The formation by plants of flagella, or their arrangement
- 3 beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment wordnet
- 4 beating as a source of erotic or religious stimulation wordnet
Example
More examples"As a means of restoring vigor to the generative organs, flagellation was recommended by the ancient physicians as an effectual remedy, in accordance with the Hippocratic principle of ubi stimulus, ibi affluxus."
Etymology
From French flagellation, from Latin flagellatio, from flagellare, from flagellum, diminutive of flagrum (“whip”).
From flagellum (“elongated filiform appendage”), itself a diminutive of Latin flagrum (“whip”), closely related to etymology 1.
Related phrases
More for "flagellation"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.