The wheel (originally, the whele) was a torture device of the Middle Ages. The wheel itself was similar to a large wooden wagon wheel, with many radial spokes. The victim's arms and legs were placed one by one over two sturdy wooden beams. A large hammer was then applied to the limb over the gap between the beams, breaking the bone. This process was repeated several times per limb.

Afterwards, the victim's shattered limbs were woven through the spokes of the wheel. The wheel was then hoisted onto a tall pole, so that birds could eat the still-living victim.