kru-sə-fai • Hear it! • Verb, transitive Meaning: 1. To execute
someone by nailing them to a post with a crossbar to the arms.
2. To punish or berate someone viciously, brutally. Notes:
Unfortunately, this word is so useful it has begotten a large
family of words referring to torture and torment. Someone who
crucifies in either of the two senses above is a crucifier and
the act of crucifying is crucifixion. If excruciating pain
represents the extreme in torture, that is because excruciate is
based on the same sense of crucifixion. Today Christians
throughout the world commemorate the day on which Jesus Christ
was crucified, a day now called “Good Friday” in English. In
Play: Aside from Eastertide, we use this word today only in the
figurative sense as a hyperbole: “Dad is going to crucify you
when he finds out you bent his Bentley!” In fact, we probably
overuse it: “Gladys Friday was crucified by the boss in front of
the whole office when she arrived at the meeting late.” Word
History: Proto-Indo-Europeanroot