411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Duke of Exeter's daughter
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
After Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, who served as constable of the Tower of London during the period when the rack was in use there.
Proper noun
Duke of Exeter's daughter 1
en UK obsolete slang The rack torture device.
en 2022 Thomas B. Costain For My Great Folly If we hadn't lagged you when we had, they'd be stretching you now on the Duke of Exeter's Daughter where they racked Guy Fawkes, and you'd be bleating out everything you know and a lot you don't know.
See also
en Skeffington's daughter
en eponyms
en Torture