Cyphonism

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Cyphonism (Gr κυφωνισμός, from κῡφός, "bent, crooked") was a form of punishment by the κύφων (kyphon), a sort of wooden pillory by which the neck of the malefactor was bent or weighed downward. Formerly, this term was widely believed to refer to a form of punishment in which the criminal's body was smeared with honey, and exposed him to flies, wasps, etc.

[edit] References

• "cyphonism". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.
• This article incorporates text from the public domain 1913 Webster's Dictionary.
• This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain.