| 释义 |
decapitate, v.|dɪˈkæpɪteɪt|
[f. F. décapiter (1320 in Hatzf.), also desc- (14th c.), = Pr. de-, descapitar, It. decapitare, late or med.L. dēcapitāre, f. de- I. 6 + caput, capit- head. See -ate3.]
1. trans. To cut off the head of (a man or animal); to behead, kill by beheading. Also, to poll a tree, etc.
1611Cotgr., Decapiter, Descapiter, to decapitate, or behead. 1661Arnway's Tablet Advt. (T.), Charles the First..murdered, and decapitated before his own door at Whitehall. 1776Evelyn's Sylva i. vii. §2. 154 Hedgerow ashes may the oftener be decapitated, and will show their heads again sooner than other trees so used. 1867Smiles Huguenots Eng. iii. (1880) 50 They decapitated beautiful statues of stone, it is true; but the Guises had decapitated the living men. 1871Morley Voltaire (1886) 340 In a time when you are not imprisoned or hung or decapitated for holding unpopular opinions.
b. Math. In the symbolical method of calculating seminvariants: To remove the highest number of the symbol.
1884Cayley in Amer. Jrnl. Math. VII. i. 9 In every case we decapitate the symbol by striking out the highest number.
2. U.S. politics. To dismiss summarily from office.
1872Daily Tel. 5 Jan., At the commencement of any fresh Presidency, hundreds of Democratic employés have their heads cut off to make room for Republicans who, in their turn, will be decapitated when the Democrats get the upper hand again. 1889in Farmer Americanisms s.v.
Hence deˈcapitated ppl. a., deˈcapitating vbl. n. and ppl. a.
1796Ess. by Soc. of Gentlem. Exeter 228 A very antient decapitated pillar. 1874Carpenter Ment. Phys. i. ii. §67 A decapitated Frog..remains at rest until it is touched. 1827H. Steuart Planter's G. (1828) 76 The decapitating of them [trees] is utterly destructive of their health and growth. 1890Athenæum 8 Mar. 310/1 The suppression of piracy and decapitating expeditions. |