Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

peine forte et dure

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.44 in modern English

Syllables: peine -forte et -dure
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Crushing, an old form of punishment (torture) in which the prisoner's body was pressed with heavy weights.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"It was a solid structure, with massy door, sooner than open which in the absence of the ‘Dominie’, we would all have willingly perished by the peine forte et dure."

Etymology

Law French, from Middle French peine forte et dure (“severe and hard punishment”).

Usage

Uncountable

Questions

What does peine forte et dure mean?: Crushing, an old form of punishment (torture) in which the prisoner's body was pressed with heavy weights.
Where does peine forte et dure come from?: Law French, from Middle French peine forte et dure (“severe and hard punishment”).

How to pronounce peine forte et dure

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