decapitate
verb
Did you know?
Decapitation is a quick and fairly painless way to go, so it was once considered suitable only for nobles like Sir Walter Raleigh, Mary Queen of Scots, and two of Henry VIII's unfortunate wives. The invention of the guillotine in the 18th century was meant to make execution swifter and more painless than hanging or a badly aimed blow by the executioner's sword.
Examples of decapitate in a Sentence
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
In June 2021, Joel Arciniega-Saenz stabbed James Garcia 84 times and severed a finger with a switchblade before decapitating him, according to a March 5 news release by the Doña Ana County District Attorney’s Office.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2025
The group of 70 were taken to a Protestant church, where they were reportedly decapitated one by one.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
Their credo is to decapitate, torture, kill and celebrate.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decapitate
Cite this Entry
“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decapitate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decapitate
verb
derived from Latin decapitare "to cut off the head of," from de- "from, away" and caput "head" — related to capital
Medical Definition
decapitate
1 of 2 transitive verb
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