WATERBOARD Meaning and
Definition
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Waterboarding is a controversial interrogation technique that involves the controlled drowning or suffocation of an individual, typically with the aim of extracting information or obtaining a confession. It is a form of torture that has been widely criticized for its severe physical and psychological effects on the victim.
During the process, the person being interrogated is restrained on a table or inclined backwards, with their head positioned lower than their feet. A cloth is placed over their face, and water is then poured onto the cloth, covering the nose and mouth and inducing a sensation of drowning. This creates an intense feeling of panic, as the individual struggles to breathe and involuntarily gasps for air.
Waterboarding puts tremendous stress on the respiratory system and frequently leads to the inhalation of water, posing significant dangers such as pulmonary edema, aspiration pneumonia, and even death. Moreover, it inflicts intense fear and psychological trauma, often resulting in long-lasting psychological damage for the victim.
The use of waterboarding has been internationally condemned as a violation of human rights and is considered torture under numerous domestic and international laws and treaties. Its employment in interrogation practices has been highly controversial, and many argue that information obtained under such circumstances may be unreliable due to the extreme duress experienced by the individual.
Common Misspellings for WATERBOARD
Etymology of WATERBOARD
The word "waterboard" is a compound word formed from the combination of "water" and "board". The etymology of "water" can be traced back to Old English "wæter" and Middle English "water". Its origins can be found in various Germanic languages, such as Old Frisian "wetter", Old High German "wazzar", and Old Norse "vatn". As for "board", it originated from Old English "bord", which also shared a common origin with related Germanic words such as Old High German "bort" and Old Norse "borth". The term "waterboard" itself emerges in the English language in the 1940s and is associated with a technique of interrogation, sometimes considered a form of torture, which involves simulating drowning by pouring or splashing water onto a cloth-covered face.
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