beheading
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The act of killing someone by cutting off their head: "Beheading" refers specifically to the action of severing a person's head from their body, resulting in death.
- Execution by decapitation: "Beheading" also denotes a method of capital punishment where the head is removed.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The beheading of the king was a pivotal event in the revolution.
- The medieval practice of beheading was considered a noble form of execution for aristocrats.
Advanced Usage
"to carry out a beheading": to perform an execution by decapitation.
- The state was authorized to carry out a beheading for the crime of treason.
"to be sentenced to beheading": to receive a judicial punishment of decapitation.
- The prisoner was sentenced to beheading at dawn.
Variants and Related Words
Behead (verb): to cut off the head of (a person).
- The tyrant ordered his enemies to be beheaded.
Decapitation (noun): the action of cutting off the head; a synonym for beheading.
- Decapitation was a common method of execution in ancient times.
Synonyms
- Decapitation: The act of cutting off the head.
- Execution by the sword: A historical phrase for beheading.
Related Phrases
- To meet one's end by the axe: An idiom referring to death by beheading, specifically with an axe.
- Many nobles met their end by the axe during the purge.
Notes on Meaning
- Historical/Legal Context: "Beheading" strongly implies an act of execution, often state-sanctioned, rather than an accidental or random act of violence. It is associated with formal punishment.
- Method: While the definition centers on the result (killing by head removal), the word inherently references the specific of killing.
Noun
- killing by cutting off the head
- execution by cutting off the victim's head