Guillotine

Guillotine. (1) An instrument used in France for decapitating condemned persons. It was introduced by the Convention in 1792, and many thousands perished by this means during the first Revolution. It is named after Dr. J. I. Guillotin, who in 1789 had proposed the adoption of some more merciful method of execution; but the actual inventor is said to have been a Dr. Louis, from whom the instrument was at first termed a louisette. (2) In metallurgy, a large iron weight which, by being allowed to fall from a height, is employed for breaking up iron plates.