behead
verb /bɪˈhed/
/bɪˈhed/
[usually passive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they behead | /bɪˈhed/ /bɪˈhed/ |
| he / she / it beheads | /bɪˈhedz/ /bɪˈhedz/ |
| past simple beheaded | /bɪˈhedɪd/ /bɪˈhedɪd/ |
| past participle beheaded | /bɪˈhedɪd/ /bɪˈhedɪd/ |
| -ing form beheading | /bɪˈhedɪŋ/ /bɪˈhedɪŋ/ |
- behead somebody to cut off somebody’s head, especially as a punishment synonym decapitate
- He was charged with treason and beheaded.
Word OriginOld English behēafdian; from be- ‘off’ (expressing removal) + hēafod, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hoofd and German Haupt.