noun / verb
guillotine
GIL-uh-teen/ˈɡɪlətiːn/
A device that cuts with a swiftly descending blade.
The guillotine holds a raised blade above a circular neck opening.
Etymology
French guillotine commemorates physician Joseph Guillotin, who advocated machine beheading as a quick, clean method of execution. The machine’s name recognizes his proposal.
In context
you see the blade for the guillotine come down and then go back up
More examples
- Workers use a guillotine to cut stacks of paper.
- During the revolution, officials guillotined prisoners in public.
- This machine guillotines thin metal sheets into uniform strips.
Forms
guillotine · guillotines · guillotined · guillotining
Similar words
- cutter
- Any cutting tool or machine, not necessarily with a descending blade.