thrash
v.— «British soldiers were ordered by their commanding officer to “thrash” Iraqi civilians rounded up in an anti-looting operation, a court martial in Germany was told yesterday. In military slang, thrash means strenuous physical exercise or putting someone through their paces.» —“Soldiers had order to ‘thrash,’ trial told” by Audrey Gillan in Osnabruck, Germany Guardian (U.K.) Jan. 26, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Sean in Oneonta, New York, says that when he was growing up in New Jersey, his family would pile in the car and set off on a surprise adventure, whether a short distance or long, and the kids would be told only that they were going on Buxtehude...