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to decapitate

to decapitate

53 7.9
Cut off the head of a person or animal
  • verb
  • /dɪˈkæpɪˌteɪt/
  • Offensive
translation icon : decapitar
  • But what they did discover, and they did it mainly on mice, is that when you decapitate, you cut off the head.
  • a decapitated head
  • decapitate victims
  • decapitate a man

And line in the middle of the road was a body decapitated.

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Examples

  • The only way it would fit in a suitcase was to decapitate it, which Stanley did without much fanfare.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Sources report that all the bodies were decapitated.

  • Their aim is so murderously accurate they can decapitate three men with one strike.

  • Preying mainly on women and children, the beast was said to decapitate its victims.

    Academic text (2011)
  • You cannot break this kid mentally or in any way pull him away from his only goal right now, which is to decapitate his opponent in the first round.

  • Ily executed the military leadership, in effect decapitating their ability to resist.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • While his companions rush to him, a sailor spots the snake and decapitates it with his sword.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • They already decapitated him.

  • Herod decapitated him.

  • The executioner was ordered to decapitate the prisoner using a swift strike.

Synonyms

to behead
vsto decapitate
  • Offensive
50 7.4

Cut off the head of a person or animal to kill them

is used for cutting off that body part regardless of reason
to guillotine
vsto decapitate
  • NSFW
1 8.9

To kill someone by dropping a heavy angled blade on their neck

covers cutting off this body part by any method, not only a machine
to head
vsto decapitate
1 8.1

To cut off the front top part of a fish or animal before cooking

is broader, applying to people, animals, or objects beyond food preparation
to decollate
vsto decapitate
  • NSFW
9.9

To cut off the head of a person or animal

is the more common term used for the same action in general speech

How Forceful

to decapitate
  • Offensive
53 7.9
to tomahawk
  • NSFW
1 9.9
to chop
193 1.0
to strike
553 2.4
to hit
1.0
to tap
174 1.0

Surface Forms

decapitate infinitive
decapitated past participle
decapitating present participle
decapitates third person singular

Morphology

decapitate = capitate (semi-transparent) = de + capit + ate

The structure de- + capitate directly indicates 'remove the head', but 'capitate'/'capit-' is a technical combining form not familiar to many learners, reducing full transparency.

Etymology

Decapitate comes from Latin parts de- 'off' and caput 'head'. You can see caput in English words like capital, which originally meant 'head', and cap, a hat for the head, so decapitate means to cut the head off.