- Original: βάσανος - Transliteration: Basanos - Phonetic: bas'-an-os - Definition: 1. a touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal 2. the rack or instrument of torture by which one is forced to divulge the truth 3. torture, torment, acute pains a. of the pains of a disease b. of those in hell after death - Origin: perhaps remotely from the same as G939 (through the notion of going to the bottom) - TDNT entry: 10:22,0 - Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine - Strong's: Perhaps remotely from the same as G939 (through the notion of going to the bottom); a touch stone that is (by analogy) torture: - torment. Total KJV Occurrences: 1 • torments, 1 Mat 4:24