behead

To deliberately remove the head of; to cut off (someone's) head.

Verb

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

Origin

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

Forms

beheads beheading beheaded

Synonyms

decapitate decollate

Derived

beheadable beheadal beheaded beheadee beheader beheading