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pilliwinks

[ pil-uh-wingks ]

noun

, (used with a singular or plural verb)
  1. an old instrument of torture similar to the thumbscrew.

pilliwinks

/ ˈpɪlɪˌwɪŋks /

plural noun

  1. a medieval instrument of torture for the fingers and thumbs
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pilliwinks1

1350–1400; Scots variant of late Middle English pyrwykes, pyrewinkes < ?
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pilliwinks1

C14: of uncertain origin

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