behead

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

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈhɛd/

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• Rhymes: -ɛd

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

Leonard Siffleet, an Australian prisoner of war, was beheaded by Japanese soldiers in 1943.

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

• decapitate
• decollate