guillotine

noun

guil·​lo·​tine ˈgi-lə-ˌtēn  ˌgē-(y)ə-ˈtēn  ˈgē-(y)ə-ˌtēn 

1

: a machine for beheading by means of a heavy blade that slides down in vertical guides

2

: a shearing machine or instrument (such as a paper cutter) that in action resembles a guillotine

The paper was trimmed on a guillotine.

3

chiefly British : closure by the imposition of a predetermined time limit on the consideration of specific sections of a bill or portions of other legislative business

guillotine transitive verb

Examples of guillotine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Alice testing the shibari suspension point, which is installed into a guillotine structure above the living room. —Kayla Levy, Curbed, 11 Dec. 2024

Some of the designs feature guillotines, guns and target symbols. —Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024

Trump should bring down the guillotine on crony capitalism in favor of the Thomas Edisons who build a better mousetrap in a free enterprise landscape. —Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024

There are no cooking tools that evoke a guillotine, and an uprising led by the workers and for the workers sadly does not occur. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, from Joseph Guillotin †1814 French physician

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

guillotine

noun

guil·​lo·​tine ˈgil-ə-ˌtēn  ˌgē-(y)ə-ˈtēn 

ˈgē-(y)əˌ-tēn

: a machine for cutting off a person's head by means of a heavy blade sliding in two upright grooved posts

guillotine verb

Etymology

named for Joseph Guillotin 1738–1814 French doctor and public official

Medical Definition

guillotine

noun

guil·​lo·​tine ˈgil-ə-ˌtēn  ˈgē-ə-ˌtēn 

: a surgical instrument that consists of a ring and handle with a knife blade which slides down the handle and across the ring and that is used for cutting out a protruding structure (as a tonsil) capable of being placed in the ring