decapitate
UK /dɪˈkap.ɪt.eɪt/ · US /diˈkæp.ə.teɪt/ verb
Forms decapitates decapitating decapitated
- verb (transitive, literal) To remove the head of.
- verb (transitive, figurative) To oust or destroy the leadership or ruling body of (a government etc.).
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From French décapiter, from Late Latin dēcapitāre, literally, “to de-head”.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [LL. decapitatus, p. p. of decapitare; L. de- + caput head. See Chief.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “decapitate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details