Guillotine - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
A guillotine is a device with a sharp blade used historically for executions by beheading. It was designed for quick and efficient killing during the French Revolution.
Definition:
A device with a heavy blade used for beheading, or a method of execution by decapitation.
Synonyms:
beheading machine, decapitator, execution device
Part of Speech:
noun, verb
Antonyms:
pardon, release
Common Collocations:
sharp blade, French Revolution, political executions, fall swiftly, death penalty
Derivatives:
guillotining, guillotined
Usage Tips:
Use "guillotine" as a noun for the device or a verb meaning to execute or cut decisively.
Common Phrases:
under the guillotine, meet the guillotine, guillotine clause
Etymology:
Named after Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who proposed a more humane execution method in 18th-century France.
Examples:
- 1. The guillotine was used during the French Revolution.
- 2. She shuddered at the thought of the guillotine’s blade falling.
- 3. The dictator ordered his enemies to be guillotined publicly.
- 4. Historians debate the guillotine’s role in modern execution methods.