Decapitate
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪt/noun
To cut off the head of a person or animal.
Did you know?In medieval rituals, decapitation was sometimes believed to release the soul or grant it passage to the afterlife.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
decapitare
“to cut off the head”
Old French
Old French
decapiter
“to behead, or remove the head”
14th Century
Middle English
decapitate
“to execute by beheading, especially in a formal context”
Modern English
English
decapitate
“to sever the head from the body, often in a judicial or ceremonial manner”
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