noun
- an executioner who beheads condemned persons
Usage: historical
Examples
- The headsman raised his axe before the crowd.
- In medieval times, the headsman was a feared figure.
- The condemned prisoner was led to the headsman’s block.
- The king’s headsman carried out the sentence at dawn.
- Historical accounts describe the headsman’s ceremonial role.
- The headsman wore a black hood to conceal his identity.