1
: a machine for beheading by means of a heavy blade that slides down in vertical guides
2
: a shearing machine or instrument (such as a paper cutter) that in action resembles a guillotine
The paper was trimmed on a guillotine.
3
chiefly British : closure by the imposition of a predetermined time limit on the consideration of specific sections of a bill or portions of other legislative business
guillotine transitive verb

Examples of guillotine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump should bring down the guillotine on crony capitalism in favor of the Thomas Edisons who build a better mousetrap in a free enterprise landscape. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024 There are no cooking tools that evoke a guillotine, and an uprising led by the workers and for the workers sadly does not occur. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024 The 12-month hiatus on Windows 10’s support guillotine doesn’t change the direct of travel here, and the shift Microsoft is making to more tightly align hardware and software to better secure its user base. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 One of them shows men in hooded robes cutting off Bruno’s head in a guillotine. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for guillotine 

Word History

Etymology

French, from Joseph Guillotin †1814 French physician

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guillotine was in 1790

Dictionary Entries Near guillotine

Cite this Entry

“Guillotine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guillotine. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

guillotine

noun
guil·​lo·​tine ˈgil-ə-ˌtēn How to pronounce guillotine (audio) ˌgē-(y)ə-ˈtēn How to pronounce guillotine (audio)
ˈgē-(y)əˌ-tēn
: a machine for cutting off a person's head by means of a heavy blade sliding in two upright grooved posts
guillotine verb
Etymology

named for Joseph Guillotin 1738–1814 French doctor and public official

Medical Definition

guillotine

noun
guil·​lo·​tine ˈgil-ə-ˌtēn How to pronounce guillotine (audio) ˈgē-ə-ˌtēn How to pronounce guillotine (audio)
: a surgical instrument that consists of a ring and handle with a knife blade which slides down the handle and across the ring and that is used for cutting out a protruding structure (as a tonsil) capable of being placed in the ring
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