decapitate
verb
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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
Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
Read Next California Son decapitates parents, dog inside their home, California cops say.
—Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 12 July 2024
EVentually, he is freed by Armand and wastes no time burning down the theater with its nocturnal troupe inside, before decapitating their arrogant leader, Santiago (Ben Daniels).
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 1 July 2024
Although a mammal dies almost immediately after losing its head, a snake doesn’t need as much oxygen to stay alive and could live minutes to hours after being decapitated, according to David Penning, an assistant professor of biology at Missouri Southern State University.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decapitate 
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Cite this Entry
“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decapitate. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
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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