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Flagellants - 2 dictionary results

flag⋅el⋅lant

  [flaj-uh-luhnt, fluh-jel-uhnt]
Use Flagellants in a Sentence
–noun
1. a person who flagellates or scourges himself or herself for religious discipline.
2. a person who derives sexual pleasure from whipping or being whipped by another person.
3. (often initial capital letter) one of a medieval European sect of fanatics who practiced scourging in public.
–adjective
4. flagellating.
5. severely criticizing: a flagellant attack on the opposition party.
Origin:
1555–65; < L flagellant- (s. of flagellāns) whipping, prp. of flagellāre. See flagellum, -ant

Related forms:
flag⋅el⋅lant⋅ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Flagellants
flag·el·lant   (flāj'ə-lənt, flə-jěl'ənt)   
n.  
  1. One who whips, especially one who scourges oneself for religious discipline or public penance.
  2. One who seeks sexual gratification in beating or being beaten by another person.

[Latin flagellāns, flagellant-, from present participle of flagellāre, to whip; see flagellate.]
flag'el·lant adj., flag'el·lant·ism n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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