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thumbscrew
(redirected from Pilliwinks)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
thumbscrew
1. an instrument of torture that pinches or crushes the thumbs
2. a screw with projections on its head enabling it to be turned by the thumb and forefinger

thumbscrew [′thəm‚skrü]
(design engineering)
A screw with a head flattened in the same axis as the shaft so that it can be gripped and turned by the thumb and forefinger.

thumbscrew
A screw having a broad head that is knurled or flattened so that it may be turned easily by the thumb and one finger.


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Pilliwinks (Middle English pyrewykes) were a type of fingercrusher.
 
 
 
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