noun
- a person who flagellates or scourges himself or herself for religious discipline.
- a person who derives sexual pleasure from whipping or being whipped by another person.
- (often initial capital letter) one of a medieval European sect of fanatics who practiced scourging in public.
adjective
- flagellating.
- severely criticizing: a flagellant attack on the opposition party.
noun
- a person who whips himself or others either as part of a religious penance or for sexual gratification
- (often capital) (in medieval Europe) a member of a religious sect who whipped themselves in public
late 16c., from Latin flagellantem (nominative flagellans), present participle of flagellare “to scourge, lash” (see flagellum).