headsman
An executioner whose method of dispatching the condemned is decapitationAn executioner whose method of dispatching the condemned is decapitation.
» Yanni is the village headsman.
Meaning
4 sensesAn executioner whose method of dispatching the condemned is decapitation.
Scharfrichter
a male executioner who beheads the condemned person
(historical)A labourer in a colliery who transports the coal from the workings to the horseway, and who is oftentimes assisted by a younger worker called a foal.
One in command of a whaling vessel.
(Scotland, obsolete)A chief person; a head man
Examples
2 sentencesYanni is the village headsman.
I wish the heartless headsmen who wanted to separate me from my family much misfortune!
deIch wünsche den herzlosen Henker Unglück viel, die mich von meiner Familie trennen wollten!
Translations
2 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English heddysman, equivalent to head + -s- + -man. Cognate with Scots hedismaFrom Middle English heddysman, equivalent to head + -s- + -man. Cognate with Scots hedisman, heidisman (“head man; chief; commander”). Compare also Danish høvedsmand (“captain”), Swedish hövitsman (“captain”), Icelandic höfuðsmaður (“captain”), German Hauptmann (“captain”).
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Forms
plural: headsmenSynonyms
3 synonyms- a male executioner who beheads the condemned person:headman
Lessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular