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The act of inflicting or imposing; as, the infliction of torment, or of punishment.

The infliction of a penalty at the discretion of the court; also, a mulct or penalty thus imposed. It differs from a fine,in that the latter is, or was originally, a fixed and certain sum prescribed by statue for an offense; but an amercement is arbitrary. Hence, the act or practice of affeering. [See Affeer.] Blacksto…

The infliction of evil; a sudden calamity; something which produces mental, physical, or financial suffering or loss (esp. when sudden); a buffet. A most poor man, made tame to fortune's blows. Shak. At a blow, suddenly; at one effort; by a single vigorous act. "They lose a province at a blow." Dryden. -- To come to b…

The infliction of the death penalty upon one person in every hundred, as in cases of mutiny.

A long whip, such as is used in the East in the infliction of punishment. Balfour.

conquest. Addison. Vice begins in mistake, and ends in ignominy. Rambler. Ignominy is the infliction of such evil as is made dishonorable, or the deprivation of such good as is made honorable by the Common wealth. Hobbes.

Causing infliction; acting as an infliction. Whitehead.

The act or practice of persecuting; especially, the infliction of loss, pain, or death for adherence to a particular creed or mode of worship. Persecution produces no sincere conviction. Paley.

Hence, a means of inflicting punishment, vengeance, or suffering; an infliction of affliction; a punishment. Sharp scourges of adversity. Chaucer. What scourge for perjury Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence Shak.

evil or unpleasant) as approaching; to indicate as impending; to announce the conditional infliction of; as, to threaten war; to threaten death. Milton. The skies look grimly And threaten present blusters. Shak.