To reprimand or criticize someone severely.
From Latin 'castigare' meaning 'to correct, punish,' from 'castus' (pure, chaste) plus 'agere' (to drive). Originally meant to purify through punishment, the idea being that correction drives out impurity.
Think 'CAST-igate' — like casting someone out with harsh criticism! The root 'castus' (pure) appears in 'chaste' — the idea was that severe criticism purifies by driving out bad behavior. It's punishment meant to improve.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.