Meaning of Thumbscrew | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A screw that is designed to be turned with the thumb and fingers, thus requiring no screwdriver or spanner (wrench).
2. An instrument of torture used to crush the fingers.
3. A weakness that can be taken advantage of.
   figuratively

Equivalents

Examples

“Very interested, Dr Grimsby watched the saw follow the fine pencil line on the white pearwood as Peter dexterously twirled the veneers on the fretwork table, timing the movement of both hands precisely to put no strain on either the saw or the wood. Nor did he acknowledge their presence till he had finished a section of the pattern, gingerly released the saw from its upper thumbscrew, and drawn it out of the wood.”

“Law 33: Discover Each Man's Thumbscrew ― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power”

CEFR level