behead

From Middle English beheden, bihefden, biheveden, from Old English behēafdian (“to behead”), equivalent to be- (“off, away”) +‎ head.

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈhɛd/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɛd

behead (third-person singular simple present beheads, present participle beheading, simple past and past participle beheaded)

1. (transitive) To deliberately remove the head of; to cut off (someone's) head.
   • 1999, Seamus Heaney, Beowulf, London: Faber and Faber, page 68:

     “For a while it was hand-to-hand between us,
     then blood went curling along the currents
     and I beheaded Grendel's mother in the hall
     with a mighty sword.”]

• decapitate
• decollate