Breaking at the Wheel

A torture technique that involves tying an accused criminal to a wooden wheel and rolling it on hard, sharp, bumpy surface causing irreversible damage to bones and organs. Sometimes if the person was still alive, an excecutioner would hammer the brain with iron or drop the wheel in a lake. The bodies were often left on display to dismay criminals.

Breaking at the wheel is not a good way to go.

by Anti fandom freedom fighter. November 26, 2016

Break the Wheel

Ignoring the taboo of incest so you can get it on with your hot family member.

"I know Jon Snow is my nephew and all, but damn. I've got to break the wheel."

by aSkinnyWhiteBoy August 22, 2017

break a butterfly on a wheel

To use excessive force to accomplish something that can be done with far less.

Break a butterfly on a wheel: Sending a SWAT team to deal with a fifteen year old kid disturbing the peace by having his music turned up too loud.

The original phrase "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?" was a line from the poem "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot”, which referenced an ancient torture method known as the “breaking wheel” or “Catherine wheel”.

by |SaltyJack| August 31, 2019

break a butterfly on the wheel

to waste effort on something that there is no chance of succeeding at.

He keeps trying to get it published but I think he is just trying to break a butterfly on the wheel

by Mehrdad.Hosseiny January 24, 2009