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headsman

[ hedz-muhn ]
/ ˈhɛdz mən /

noun, plural heads·men.

a public executioner who beheads condemned persons.

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Also headman.

Origin of headsman

First recorded in 1595–1605; head + 's1 + man

Words nearby headsman

headsheet, headship, head shop, headshot, headshrinker, headsman, head smut, heads or tails, headspace, headspring, headsquare
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for headsman

British Dictionary definitions for headsman

headsman
/ (ˈhɛdzmən) /

noun plural -men

(formerly) an executioner who beheaded condemned persons
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012