| Lexical Summary basanistēs: a torturerOriginal Word: βασανιστής Transliteration: basanistēs Phonetic Spelling: (bas-an-is-tace') Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Short Definition: a torturer Meaning: a torturer Strong's Concordancetormentor. From basanizo; a torturer -- tormentor. see GREEK basanizo Thayer's Greek LexiconSTRONGS NT 930: βασανιστής βασανιστής, βασανιστου, ὁ (βασανίζω), one who elicits the truth by the use of the rack, an inquisitor, torturer, ((Antiphon, others); Demosthenes, p. 978, 11; Philo in Flacc. § 11 end; (de concupisc. § 1; quod omn. prob. book 16; Plutarch, an vitios. ad infel. suff. § 2)); used in Matthew 18:34 of a jailer (δεσμοφύλαξ Acts 16:23), doubtless because the business of torturing was also assigned to him. | 



