decapitate
verb
de·cap·i·tate
di-ˈka-pə-ˌtāt 
dē-
decapitated; decapitating
: to cut off the head of : behead
Did you know?
Decapitation is a quick and fairly painless way to go, so it was once considered suitable only for nobles like Sir Walter Raleigh, Mary Queen of Scots, and two of Henry VIII's unfortunate wives. The invention of the guillotine in the 18th century was meant to make execution swifter and more painless than hanging or a badly aimed blow by the executioner's sword.
Examples of decapitate in a Sentence
a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated
Recent Examples on the Web
The driver of a bakery truck that got clipped by a United Airlines plane while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike believed he would be decapitated moments before the collision, his father revealed in a Tuesday news conference.
—
Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
After decapitating the body, Kennedy tied the head to the top of the family's minivan with a bungee cord, making for a less-than-pleasant five-hour drive back home to Mount Kisco, New York, according to her recollection.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Citing National Police, the outlet reported that the content creator had been partially decapitated and her face was bloodied.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The resulting blast decapitated him.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decapitate
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Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
After decapitating the body, Kennedy tied the head to the top of the family's minivan with a bungee cord, making for a less-than-pleasant five-hour drive back home to Mount Kisco, New York, according to her recollection.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Citing National Police, the outlet reported that the content creator had been partially decapitated and her face was bloodied.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The resulting blast decapitated him.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decapitate
Cite this Entry
“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decapitate. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decapitate
verb
de·cap·i·tate
di-ˈkap-ə-ˌtāt
decapitated; decapitating
: to cut off the head of : behead
Etymology
derived from Latin decapitare "to cut off the head of," from de- "from, away" and caput "head" — related to capital
Medical Definition
decapitate
1 of 2 transitive verb
de·cap·i·tate
di-ˈkap-ə-ˌtāt
decapitated; decapitating
: to cut off the head of
: relating to or being a decapitated experimental animal
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