Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A form of punishment practised in antiquity, supposed by some to have consisted in besmearing the criminal with honey, and then exposing him to insects, and by others to have been identical with the Chinese cangue. See cangue.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A punishment sometimes used by the ancients, consisting in the besmearing of the criminal with honey, and exposing him to insects. It is still in use among some Oriental nations.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An ancient punishment in which the criminal was smeared with honey and exposed to insects.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Ancient Greek

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Examples

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Comments

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  • Some might consider cyphonism a form of torture.

    November 9, 2012