guillotine

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [sing.] a machine, originally from France, for cutting people's heads off. It has a heavy blade that slides down a wooden frame: He was sent to the guillotine in January 1793. 2 (BrE) (AmE paper cutter) [C] a device with a long blade for cutting paper 3 [sing.] (BrE, politics) the setting of a time limit on a debate in Parliament verb [VN] 1 to kill sb by cutting off their head with a guillotine: Thousands of aristocrats were guillotined during the French Revolution. 2 (BrE) to cut paper using a guillotine 3 (BrE, politics) to limit the amount of time spent discussing a new law in Parliament: to guillotine a bill / motion