headsman

noun

heads·​man ˈhedz-mən How to pronounce headsman (audio)
: one that beheads : executioner

Examples of headsman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Several other leading figures of the period ended their days on the executioner’s block, including the unhappy Comte de Chalais, whose headsman bungled the job and ended up frantically chopping away at his screaming victim with a small hatchet. David A. Bell, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012 Even if your reality is the headsman’s block! Helen Shaw, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2021 Two other men, subjects of excellent Holbein drawings in the show, would keep appointments with the headsman. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022 Once upon a time, the queen could have sent rebels to the Tower and the headsman’s block, even relatives—especially relatives. Matt Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 9 Mar. 2021 The British prime minister has assembled a trio of headsmen to sever Britain from the mainland. Vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, 22 Mar. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'headsman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of headsman was circa 1562

Dictionary Entries Near headsman

Cite this Entry

“Headsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headsman. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

headsman

noun
heads·​man ˈhedz-mən How to pronounce headsman (audio)
: one that beheads

More from Merriam-Webster on headsman

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