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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Hezbollah has been decapitated and defanged by Israel allowing Lebanon to finally elect a new president after years of being blocked by Hezbollah.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025
Holloway killed Dodd, 22, at her apartment on June 9, 2022, according to the outlet, and decapitated her afterwards, leaving her head in a nearby dumpster.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025
His decapitated remains washed ashore after a few days, and three years later, the case remained unresolved, even as authorities ruled his death a homicide.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for decapitate 
Dictionary Entries Near decapitate
Cite this Entry
“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decapitate. Accessed 16 Feb. 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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