crucifixion

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act of crucifying; execution on a cross.
2. n. The crucifying of Jesus on Calvary. Used with the.
3. n. A representation of Jesus on the cross.
4. n. An extremely difficult, painful trial; torturous suffering.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of fixing to a cross, or the state of being stretched on a cross: an ancient Oriental mode of inflicting the death-penalty, applied in rare instances by the Greeks and more commonly by the Romans, by both Greeks and Romans considered an infamous form of death, and reserved in general for slaves and highway robbers. Among the Romans, the instrument of death was properly either a cross in the form now familiar, or the cross known as St. Andrew's; sometimes a standing tree was made to serve the purpose. The person executed was attached to the cross either by nails driven through the hands and feet or by cords, and was left to die of exhaustion or received the mercy of a quicker death, according to circumstances.
2. n. Specifically The putting to death of Christ upon the cross on the hill of Calvary.
3. n. Hence Intense suffering or affliction; great mental trial.

Wiktionary

1. n. An execution by being nailed or tied to an upright cross and left to hang there until dead.
2. n. The death on the Cross of Christ.
3. n. figuratively An ordeal, terrible, especially malicious treatment imposed upon someone

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of nailing or fastening a person to a cross, for the purpose of putting him to death; the use of the cross as a method of capital punishment.
2. n. The state of one who is nailed or fastened to a cross; death upon a cross.
3. n. Intense suffering or affliction; painful trial.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the act of executing by a method widespread in the ancient world; the victim's hands and feet are bound or nailed to a cross
2. n. the infliction of extremely painful punishment or suffering
3. n. the death of Jesus by crucifixion