Duke of Exeter's daughter

proper noun

The rack (torture device).

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Meanings

proper nounthe Duke of Exeter's daughter
  1. UKobsoleteslangThe rack (torture device).

    If we hadn't lagged you when we had, they'd be stretching you now on the Duke of Exeter's Daughter where they racked Guy Fawkes, and you'd be bleating out everything you know and a lot you don't know.

    2022, Thomas B. Costain, For My Great Folly

Origin

After Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, who served as constable of the Tower of London during the period when the rack was in use there.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Duke of Exeter's daughter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Duke%20of%20Exeter's%20daughter

MLA

“Duke of Exeter's daughter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Duke%20of%20Exeter's%20daughter. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Duke of Exeter's daughter,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Duke%20of%20Exeter's%20daughter.

Source: Duke of Exeter's daughter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.