corporal punishment: Meaning and Definition of

cor'poral pun'ishment

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. physical punishment, as flogging, inflicted on the body of one convicted of a crime: formerly included the death penalty, sentencing to a term of years, etc.
  2. physical punishment, as spanking, inflicted on a child by an adult in authority.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.