guillotine Definition
guil·lo·tine (gil′ə tēn′, gē′ə-; for v., also gil′ə tēn′, gē′ə-)
noun
- an instrument for beheading by means of a heavy blade dropped between two grooved uprights
- an instrument, working on a similar principle, as for cutting paper
- Brit. a method of limiting Parliamentary debate on a bill by voting at previously fixed times on specific sections of it
Etymology: Fr, after J. I. Guillotin (1738-1814), Fr physician who advocated its use during the French Revolution in preference to less humane methods
transitive verb -·tined′, -·tin′·ing
to behead with a guillotine
Etymology: Fr guillotiner < the n.
guillotine Usage Examples
Object
head: Madame Tussaud collected the guillotined heads and made plaster casts of them, which she then filled with wax to give a reasonable likeness.
Converse of object
- escape: She narrowly escaped the guillotine by pretending to be pregnant.
- use: At work, using a guillotine or paper cutter.
- have: We do not have guillotine motions these days; instead we have program motions, which were recommended by the Modernisation Committee.
- include: Material preparation includes guillotines, saws, profiling, pressing and forming up to 300 tons.
- craft: Our Price: £ 7.99 Finger Chopper The Trick: Have your spectator put a finger into this wonderfully crafted mini wooden guillotine.
- drop: Then Slobo dropped the guillotine on the witness's overextended neck.
Adjective modifier
- manual: The lads first manual guillotine, they want to try all of them on your own!
- electric: There is a micro switch to stop the electric guillotine working unless you have closed the hatch.
- mini: Our Price: £ 7.99 Finger Chopper The Trick: Have your spectator put a finger into this wonderfully crafted mini wooden guillotine.
- wooden: Our Price: £ 7.99 Finger Chopper The Trick: Have your spectator put a finger into this wonderfully crafted mini wooden guillotine.
- bottom: Higham Lock with bottom guillotine replaced by pointy gates.
Modifies a noun
- gate: The Don Aqueduct has guillotine gates at each end.
- motion: Jack Straw replied that there was no longer guillotine motions instead there were program motions.
- lock: This is the first of the guillotine gate locks, which are standard on the river.
- cutter: Other systems utilize a rotary knife rather than a guillotine cutter.
- bottom: The guillotine bottom gate was put in during a 1930's road widening scheme.
- blade: The diagnosis is quick like a dropped guillotine blade.
Noun used with modifier
Browse dictionary entries near guillotine
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- ‹ guillemot
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- ‹ Guilin
- ‹ guileless
- ‹ guileful
- ‹ guile
- ‹ guildsman
- ‹ guildhall
- ‹ guilder
- guilt ›
- guilt phase ›
- guiltless ›
- guilty ›
- guimpe ›
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- Guinea-Bissau ›
- guinea fowl ›
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