GUILLOTINE
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device designed for carrying out :executions by beheading. It consists of a tall upright frame in which a weighted and angled blade is raised to the top and suspended. The condemned person is secured at the bottom of the frame, with his or her neck held directly below the blade. The blade is then released, to fall swiftly and sever the head from the body. The device is best known for its use in France, in particular during the French Revolution, when it "became a part of popular culture" and it became celebrated as the people's avenger by supporters of the Revolution and vilified as the pre-eminent symbol of the Reign of Terror by ...The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Guillotine
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guillotine
Noun
- A machine used for the application of capital punishment by decapitation, consisting of a tall upright frame from which is suspended a heavy diagonal-edged blade.
- A device used for cutting stacks of paper to straight edges, usually by means of a hinged blade attached to a flat platform.
- A cloture; a motion that debate be ended and a vote taken.
Verb
- To execute, cut or cut short (a person, a stack of paper or a debate) by use of a guillotine.
The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: guillotine
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.