L. Fr. In old English law . A special form of punishment for those who, being arraigned for felony, obstinately “stood mute;” that is, refused to plead or to put themselves upon trial. It is described as a combination of solitary confinement , slow starvation, and crushing the naked body with a great load of iron. This atrocious punishment was vulgarly called ” pressing to death .” See 4 Bl. Comm. 324-328; Britt. cc. 4, 22; 2 Reeve, Eng. Law, 134; Cowell.
Black’s Law Online Dictionary
