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Definition of decapitate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

decapitate

verb
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪt/
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they decapitate
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪt/
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪt/
he / she / it decapitates
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪts/
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪts/
past simple decapitated
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪtɪd/
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪtɪd/
past participle decapitated
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪtɪd/
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪtɪd/
-ing form decapitating
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪtɪŋ/
 
/dɪˈkæpɪteɪtɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. decapitate somebody/something to cut off somebody’s head synonym behead
    • His decapitated body was found floating in a canal.
  2. decapitate something to reduce the power of a group or organization by removing its leaders
    • Decapitating the regime led to years of chaos.
    • The party has effectively been decapitated.
  3. Word Originearly 17th cent.: from late Latin decapitat- ‘decapitated’, from the verb decapitare, from de- (expressing removal) + caput, capit- ‘head’.
See decapitate in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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