guillotine
1 synonym for guillotine, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A device with a tall frame and a heavy angled blade, historically used to carry out executions by beheading.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
closure by compartment
How to use guillotine
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
send to the guillotine
paper guillotine
apply the guillotine
Etymology
Named after the French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who proposed its use for executions in the late 18th century.
Full origin of guillotine →Frequently asked questions
What does “guillotine” mean?
The word “guillotine” means a device with a tall frame and a heavy angled blade, historically used to carry out executions by beheading. In plain terms, the beheading device from the French Revolution, or by extension any blade-cutting tool or a hard cutoff on debate.
How do you pronounce “guillotine”?
“Guillotine” is pronounced GIH-luh-teen (/ˈɡɪləˌtin/ in IPA).
How do you use “guillotine” in a sentence?
Here is “guillotine” used in a sentence: “Thousands were executed by guillotine during the French Revolution.”
What part of speech is “guillotine”?
Depending on how it is used, “guillotine” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “guillotine” come from?
The word “guillotine” dates back to around 1700 and comes from French. Named after the French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who proposed its use for executions in the late 18th century.
How many meanings does “guillotine” have?
“Guillotine” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a device with a tall frame and a heavy angled blade, historically used to carry out executions by beheading.
