Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1700-1800
Language: French
Origin: , from Joseph Guillotin (1738-1814), French doctor who invented it

guillotine

1 noun
     
Related topics: Parliaments, Crime and Law, Newspapers, Publishing
guil‧lo‧tine1 [countable]
1SC a piece of equipment used to cut off the heads of criminals, especially in France in the past
2TCN British English a piece of equipment used to cut large sheets of paper
3 British EnglishPGP the setting of a time limit on a discussion in the British parliament:
Opposition leaders accused the government of introducing a guillotine motion to stifle debate.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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