Translate guillotine | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of guillotine
noun
a machine with a heavy blade sliding vertically in grooves, used for beheading people. a device for cutting that incorporates a descending or sliding blade, used typically for cutting paper, card, or sheet metal. a surgical instrument with a sliding blade used typically for the removal of the tonsils. British (in parliament) a procedure used to prevent delay in the discussion of a legislative bill by fixing times at which various parts of it must be voted on: [as modifier]:a guillotine motion
verb
[with object] execute (someone) by guillotine. British (in parliament) end discussion by applying a guillotine to (a bill or debate).
