Nettle vs. Torture

Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash.

Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles:

Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis);

s and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus:

(Eucnide);

(Dendrocnide photinophylla).

Certain plants that have spines or prickles:

(Solanum carolinense);

Solanum elaeagnifolium, bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle;

Solanum dimidiatum, western horse-nettle, robust horse-nettle;

Solanum rostratum, horse-nettle;

Celtis (hackberry).

Certain non-stinging plants, mostly in the family Lamiaceae, that resemble the species of Urtica:

, dumb nettle (Lamium), particularly Lamium album, white nettle;

(Boehmeria, family Urticaceae);

or painted nettle (Coleus);

(Stachys);

(Galeopsis);

Agastache urticifolia,

, Himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, family Urticaceae).

Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle.

(transitive) Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone.

Example: ‘The children were badly nettled after playing in the field.’;

To pique, irritate, vex or provoke.

A plant of the genus Urtica, covered with minute sharp hairs containing a poison that produces a stinging sensation. Urtica gracilis is common in the Northern, and Urtica chamædryoides in the Southern, United States. The common European species, Urtica urens and Urtica dioica, are also found in the Eastern united States. Urtica pilulifera is the Roman nettle of England.

To fret or sting; to irritate or vex; to cause to experience sensations of displeasure or uneasiness not amounting to violent anger.

Example: ‘The princes were so nettled at the scandal of this affront, that every man took it to himself.’;

any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae)

sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations;

Example: ‘Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me’; ‘It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves’;

intentional causing of somebody's experiencing agony

Example: ‘Using large dogs to attack bound, hand-cuffed prisoners is clearly torture.’; ‘In every war there are acts of torture that cause the world to shudder.’; ‘People confess to anything under torture.’;

the "suffering of the heart" imposed by one on another, as in personal relationships

Example: ‘Every time she says 'goodbye' it is torture!’; ‘Coventry City midfielder Josh Ruffels described his 11 months out injured as 'absolute torture' after the goalless draw with Derby County Under-21s. ([http://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/article/eleven-months-of-absolute-torture-760652.aspx])’;

(colloquial) (often as "absolute torture") stage fright, severe embarrassment

(transitive) To intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone).

Example: ‘People who torture often have sadistic tendencies.’; ‘In the aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but, we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values.’;

Extreme pain; anguish of body or mind; pang; agony; torment; as, torture of mind.

Example: ‘Ghastly spasm or racking torture.’;

Especially, severe pain inflicted judicially, either as punishment for a crime, or for the purpose of extorting a confession from an accused person, as by water or fire, by the boot or thumbkin, or by the rack or wheel.

The act or process of torturing.

Example: ‘Torture, which had always been deciared illegal, and which had recently been declared illegal even by the servile judges of that age, was inflicted for the last time in England in the month of May, 1640.’;

To put to torture; to pain extremely; to harass; to vex.

To punish with torture; to put to the rack; as, to torture an accused person.

To wrest from the proper meaning; to distort.

To keep on the stretch, as a bow.

Example: ‘The bow tortureth the string.’;

extreme mental distress

unbearable physical pain

intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain;

Example: ‘an agony of doubt’; ‘the torments of the damned’;

the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

the act of torturing someone;

Example: ‘it required unnatural torturing to extract a confession’;

torment emotionally or mentally

subject to torture;

Example: ‘The sinners will be tormented in Hell, according to the Bible’;

Torture is the act of deliberately inflicting severe physical or psychological suffering on someone by another as a punishment or in order to fulfill some desire of the torturer or force some action from the victim. Torture, by definition, is a knowing and intentional act; deeds which unknowingly or negligently inflict suffering or pain, without a specific intent to do so, are not typically considered torture.Torture has been carried out or sanctioned by individuals, groups, and states throughout history from ancient times to modern day, and forms of torture can vary greatly in duration from only a few minutes to several days or longer.