炮烙

páoluò

noun

Meanings

1 an ancient torture said to have been used by King Zhou of Shang
2 binding a victim to a red-hot bronze pillar

Characters

to roast over fire

to scorch; brand

Examples

HSK 7-9

史书记载，商纣王发明炮烙之刑来惩罚异己。

Shǐshū jìzǎi, Shāng Zhòuwáng fāmíng páoluò zhī xíng lái chéngfá yìjǐ.

Historical records claim King Zhou of Shang invented the pillar-roasting torture to punish dissenters.

HSK 7-9

这种炮烙般的酷刑，只见于古籍。

Zhèzhǒng páoluò bān de kùxíng, zhǐ jiàn yú gǔjí.

This kind of cruel torture is recorded in classical texts only.

Tips

history

Attributed to King Zhou of Shang (商纣王, 11th c. BCE), the last ruler of the Shang dynasty. The victim was bound to a hollow bronze pillar set over burning coals. The phrase became shorthand in classical writing for extreme cruelty.

usage

Both characters take rare readings: 炮 is páo (the herbal-roasting reading), not pào ('cannon'); and 烙 is luò, used essentially only in this compound, not the everyday lào ('to brand, iron').

Stroke Order

炮 pào

烙 lào