guillotine

The guillotine is best known as the machine used for execution by beheading, especially during the French Revolution. It was meant to be a quick and, at the time, more humane way to carry out death sentences than older methods. Because it was used to execute King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and many others, it became one of the most famous and feared symbols of that period.

The word is also used more widely. A guillotine can mean a machine with a heavy blade that cuts paper, metal, or other material straight down. In politics, a guillotine can mean a rule or action that cuts debate short. As a verb, it can mean to kill someone with this machine or, more generally, to end something suddenly and sharply.

The guillotine is a mechanical device used for execution by beheading. Although similar machines existed earlier, the version most people recognize became famous in France in the late 18th century. It was named after Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who supported a more equal and less painful method of execution, though he did not design the machine himself. The design is usually linked to Antoine Louis, and an early model was built by Tobias Schmidt.

The machine has a tall frame and a heavy blade held at the top. The person's neck is placed in a wooden collar, and the blade is released so that it falls quickly. During the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), it was used to kill thousands of people, including famous figures such as Maximilien Robespierre. Because of this, it became both a symbol of revolutionary justice and a symbol of terror.

The guillotine remained in use in France much longer than many people expect: the last execution by guillotine was in 1977, and France abolished the death penalty in 1981. In modern English, the word still carries its historical meaning, but it also has other uses. It can refer to a cutting machine used for paper or other flat materials, especially one with a straight blade that comes down from above. In politics, a "guillotine" or "guillotine motion" is a way of forcing debate to end so that a vote can happen. As a verb, "to guillotine" can mean to execute someone with the machine, to cut something with a similar blade device, or to stop something suddenly. In every use, the word suggests a fast, sharp, final action.