keelhauling
Beneath the ship
Keelhauling was a brutal naval punishment in which a sailor was tied to a rope, thrown overboard, and dragged under the ship's keel from one side to the other.
The barnacles encrusting the hull would shred flesh, and many didn't survive.
Now used figuratively for any severe reprimand or punishment: The boss gave him a real keelhauling for losing the account.
Deliberate infliction of suffering
- cruelWillfully causing suffering
- inhumaneCallously causing suffering
- savageFierce and untamed
- barbaricSavagely cruel, uncivilized
merciless · gruesome · harsh · ruthless · vicious · dragging · barnacles · laceration
Seagoing transport vessel
- hullOuter covering or frame
- sailorSeafaring crew member
- nauticalOf ships and sailing
- seafaringTraveling by ocean vessel
rigging · deck · bow · stern · mariner · rope · yardarm · barnacles
Trained self-control or specialty
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
- floggingBeating as punishment
- lashingBeating or binding
sentence · deterrence · sanction · chastisement · court-martial · cat-o'-nine-tails · brig · mutiny
Order enforced at sea
- 17th centuryYears 1601-1700
- 18th centuryYears 1701-1800
- Royal NavyUK naval military branch
- wooden shipsVessels built from lumber
maritime law · naval traditions · seafaring · pirates · privateers · press gangs · naval warfare · shipboard life
torture
Deliberate infliction of suffering
barbaric · merciless · gruesome · harsh · ruthless · vicious · dragging · barnacles · laceration · drowning
ship
Seagoing transport vessel
seafaring · rigging · deck · bow · stern · mariner · rope · yardarm · barnacles · seawater
discipline
Trained self-control or specialty
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
- floggingBeating as punishment
lashing · sentence · deterrence · sanction · chastisement · court-martial · cat-o'-nine-tails · brig · mutiny · insubordination
naval discipline
Order enforced at sea
- 17th centuryYears 1601-1700
- 18th centuryYears 1701-1800
- Royal NavyUK naval military branch
wooden ships · maritime law · naval traditions · seafaring · pirates · privateers · press gangs · naval warfare · shipboard life · tall ships
- piracysoftware piracy, pirates, torrents, book piracy, buccaneers
- pirate punishmentswalking the plank, marooning, plank walking, thrown overboard
- punishmentsjail, prison, timeout, grounded, fine
- executionsexecution, execution chamber, hanging, guillotine, executioner
- military punishmentsflogging, lashing, whipping, court-martial, brig
- torturerack, the rack, thumbscrew, thumbscrews, iron maiden
keelhaulingreward
Payment for service
commendation · praise · kindness · clemency · mercy
keelhaulingwarning
Alert about danger
extra duty · flogging · dishonorable discharge · pardon · amnesty
haul, hauling, hauled, keel, hauls, hauler, haulers, keels, keeled