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[draw and
quarter] {v. phr.}, {literary} 1. To execute someone in the barbaric medieval
fashion of having him torn into four pieces by four horses tearing his body in
four different directions.
The captured foreign marauders were drawn and
quartered by the angry citizens of ancient Frankfurt.
2. To punish someone very
severely.
"If you miss another homework assignment, John," the teacher
said, "I'll have you drawn and quartered."
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