Definition

1. 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

1. killing by cutting off the head
2. execution by cutting off the victim's head