Judas cradle

noun

A purported torture device invented in Spain in the 16th century by the Spanish Inquisition by which the suspended victim’s orifice, usually the anus, was slowly impaled on and stretched by the pyramidal tip of the seat.

Similar
Judas chair
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Meanings

nounJudas cradle (plural Judas cradles)

plural Judas cradles

  1. A purported torture device invented in Spain in the 16th century by the Spanish Inquisition by which the suspended victim’s orifice, usually the anus, was slowly impaled on and stretched by the pyramidal tip of the seat.

    Synonyms: Judas chair

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA purported torture device invented in Spain in the 16th century by the Spanish Inquisition by which the suspended victim’s orifice, usually the anus, was slowly impaled on and stretched by the pyramidal tip of the seat.

Similar
Judas chair
Also see
judas chair

Origin

Derives its name from the biblical figure of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ. It was believed that the torture device was named after Judas as a means of punishing those who were deemed to have betrayed their fellow man.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French berceau de Judas
  • berceau de Judasdevice of torture
German Judaswiege
  • Judaswiegedevice of torture
Italian culla di Giuda
  • culla di Giudadevice of torture
Portuguese berço-de-judas, berço de Judas
  • berço-de-judasdevice of torture
  • berço de Judasdevice of torture
Spanish cuna de Judas
  • cuna de Judasdevice of torture
Cite this entry
APA

Judas cradle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Judas%20cradle

MLA

“Judas cradle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Judas%20cradle. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Judas cradle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Judas%20cradle.

Source: Judas cradle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.