guillotine
|guil-lo-tine|
🇺🇸
/ˈɡɪləˌtin/
🇬🇧
/ˈɡɪlətiːn/
decisive execution
Etymology
'guillotine' originates from French, specifically the word 'guillotine', named after Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who proposed its use.
'guillotine' was adopted into English from the French word 'guillotine' during the late 18th century.
Initially, it referred specifically to the execution device, but it has also come to mean any decisive or severe action.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a device used for beheading a person by means of a heavy blade that is dropped between two posts serving as guides.
The guillotine was a symbol of the French Revolution.
Synonyms
Verb 1
to execute someone by cutting off their head with a guillotine.
The prisoner was guillotined at dawn.
Synonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45