torturer

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a person who deliberately inflicts severe physical or mental pain, often to punish, intimidate, or obtain information

   The tribunal convicted the torturer on evidence from several former prisoners.

2. 2
   noun

   a person or thing that causes persistent anguish or torment; figurative

   In his fevered imagination, the accusing voice became his constant torturer.

Formed from torture + the agentive suffix -er. Torture came through French from Late Latin tortura, 'a twisting or torment,' from Latin torquere, 'twist.' The physical idea of twisting underlies the later general sense of deliberately inflicted suffering.

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