guillotine
/ɡi.jɔ.tin/feminine
The French word for "guillotine" is guillotine.
guillotine is a noun referring to the machine used for carrying out capital punishment via decapitation. You can also use the related verb guillotiner to mean the act of executing someone with this machine.
Meaning: machine used for the application of capital punishment by decapitation (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun guillotine is feminine, so it is used with the feminine article la as in la guillotine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ɡi.jɔ.tin/.
Did you know?
- France performed its final execution using la guillotine in 1977, the same year the first Space Shuttle launched.
- The machine was named after guillotine's namesake, Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who actually opposed capital punishment and proposed the machine as a more humane alternative to hanging or breaking on the wheel.
- French speakers use guillotine to refer to a specific type of paper cutter found in offices and schools, reflecting the machine's mechanical design.
Examples in context
- Tu sais, pendant la Révolution française, la guillotine a été utilisée pour l'exécution des condamnés à mortYou know, during the French Revolution, the guillotine was used for the execution of condemned prisoners
- La guillotine était utilisée pendant la Révolution.The guillotine was used during the Revolution.
- Il y a une photo de la guillotine dans ce livre.There is a photo of the guillotine in this book.
- La guillotine est une machine très célèbre en France.The guillotine is a very famous machine in France.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are looking at a history book in a library.
- GabrielRegarde cette vieille illustration de la guillotine.Look at this old illustration of the guillotine.
- LéaElle est vraiment effrayante, cette machine.This machine is truly scary.
- GabrielC'est vrai, c'est un objet très sombre.It's true, it is a very dark object.
- LéaL'histoire de France est parfois brutale.French history is sometimes brutal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “guillotine” translations and entries guillotine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guillotine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
