Meaning
guillotine
- An execution device consisting of a heavy falling blade between upright guides.
- A heavy paper-cutting machine operated with a lever blade.
In a sentence
Durante la Rivoluzione francese, la ghigliottina divenne il simbolo del Terrore.
During the French Revolution, the guillotine became the symbol of the Reign of Terror.
In ufficio usiamo una ghigliottina manuale per tagliare grandi risme di carta.
In the office we use a manual paper cutter to cut large reams of paper.
Quanti nobili finirono sulla ghigliottina in quegli anni violenti?
How many nobles ended up on the guillotine during those violent years?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| ghigliottina | feminine · singular |
| ghigliottine | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Pronounced with the palatal lateral /ʎʎ/ (like 'gli'), not /l/.