Guillotined: meaning, definitions and examples
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guillotined
[ ɡɪl.ə.taɪnd ]
historical execution
To be guillotined means to be executed by a machine known as the guillotine. This device was primarily used during the French Revolution for the execution of criminals and political prisoners. The guillotine consists of a heavy blade that is dropped to behead the victim swiftly and efficiently. Its use symbolized the revolutionary ideals of equality before the law but also became a terrifying emblem of the Reign of Terror. The act of guillotining is often associated with large-scale executions and the harshness of revolutionary justice.
Synonyms
beheaded, executed, terminated
Examples of usage
- Many prisoners were guillotined during the revolution.
- The last person to be guillotined in France was in 1977.
- He watched in horror as the condemned man was guillotined.
Translations
Translations of the word "guillotined" in other languages:
🇵🇹 guilhotinado
🇮🇳 गिलोटिन किया गया
🇩🇪 guilletiniert
🇮🇩 dieksekusi dengan guillotine
🇺🇦 гільйотинований
🇵🇱 ścięty gilotyną
🇯🇵 ギロチン処刑された
🇫🇷 guillotinée
🇪🇸 guillotinado
🇹🇷 giyotinle idam edilmiş
🇰🇷 기요틴 처형된
🇸🇦 مُقَطَّعٌ بِالْجِلْيُوتِين
🇨🇿 popravený gilotinou
🇸🇰 popravený gilotínou
🇨🇳 被断头台处决
🇸🇮 giljotinirano
🇮🇸 gilltínug
🇰🇿 гильотинмен өлтірілген
🇬🇪 გილიოტინით დახოცილი
🇦🇿 gilyotinlə edam olunmuş
🇲🇽 guillotinado
Etymology
The term 'guillotined' derives from the noun 'guillotine', which was named after Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a French physician who proposed its use in 1789 as a more humane method of execution. The device itself became a symbol of the French Revolution, representing the new ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity while simultaneously embodying the brutality of that era. Prior to the guillotine, executions were often public spectacles involving great suffering. The guillotine allowed for a swift and ostensibly merciful death, as it was designed to behead an individual quickly and with minimal suffering. However, it also became infamous for its frequent use during the Reign of Terror, leading to the deaths of thousands, including prominent figures like King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The word and the act of being guillotined thus carry heavy historical connotations, reflecting the complexities of justice and power during one of history's most tumultuous periods.