A whip or lash, especially one made of leather and formerly used as an instrument of punishment or control.
From Turkish 'kurbac' or Arabic 'kurbaj,' referring to a type of whip used in Ottoman times. Entered English through colonial and diplomatic contact with the Ottoman Empire.
The 'courbache' became notorious during European colonial rule in the Middle East and North Africa, where it symbolized oppression—today it appears mostly in historical texts.
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