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A form of torture in which the victim's hands are first tied behind their back, and then he or she is suspended in the air by means of a rope attached to wrists, which most likely dislocates both arms.

1
But save me from the strappado, from the torment of the rack.
The Red Axe
2
I'd strappado you and then hang you within the next half-hour.
The Yeoman Adventurer
3
I'll uphold you to face Spaniards, strappado, rack, galleys, and all!
To Have and to Hold
4
By my faith, he shall know what the strappado means when I see Versailles again.
The Refugees / A Tale of Two Continents
5
Scarpines and strappado won't lay stone on stone!
Sir Mortimer: A Novel