garrote

Garrote refers to a ligature-based method of execution and to the device used to apply it. The word comes from Spanish garrote, and the best-known variant is garrote vil, a collar-like apparatus with a tightening mechanism. A ligature, such as a cord or chain, is looped around the neck and tightened to cause death through constriction of the airway and blood flow, resulting in asphyxiation. Designs varied by region and era, but the basic principle remained neck constriction.

Historically, the garrote was used as an official method of execution in Spain from the early modern period into the late 20th century, and similar devices appeared in some Spanish colonies and other Latin American territories. The last known executions by garrote in Spain occurred in the 1970s, and the country abolished capital punishment in 1978, bringing its use to an end.

In contemporary contexts, garrote is primarily discussed within historical, legal, or literary frameworks. The term also functions as a verb meaning to strangle someone. While largely of historical interest today, the garrote remains a notable example of a device designed to produce death by constriction.