flagellare

Flagellare is an Italian transitive verb meaning to whip or to flog, typically with a rod or lash. It can describe corporal punishment as well as ritual or punitive practices in historical contexts. The noun flagellazione denotes the act of flagellating, and flagellante refers to a person who practices flagellation, particularly in medieval religious movements.

The term derives from Latin flagellare, from flagellum meaning a small whip or whip-like instrument. The concept appears in classical and medieval sources and remains in use in legal, religious, and literary contexts to describe punishment or penance.

Figuratively, flagellare can mean to harshly criticize, rebuke, or question someone in a relentless manner. In modern language, the verb is sometimes used to convey intense scrutiny or sustained condemnation, beyond its literal sense of whipping.

In biological and scientific Italian, flagellare is used in relation to flagella, the locomotor appendages of certain cells and microorganisms. The term flagellato (flagellated) or the noun flagello (flagellum) are common in biology, with phrases such as cellule flagellate describing cells that bear flagella and move using these structures.