Wiktionary:Word of the day/2021/July 14

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guillotine n

(historical, also figuratively) A machine used for the application of capital punishment by decapitation, consisting of a tall upright frame from which is suspended a heavy diagonal-edged blade which is dropped on to the neck of the person to be executed; also, execution using this machine. (by extension) A device or machine with a cutting blade. A device used for cutting the pages of books, stacks of paper, etc., to straight edges, usually by means of a hinged or sliding blade attached to a flat platform. (surgery) An instrument with a sliding blade for cutting the tonsils, uvula, or other body parts. (law, politics, informal) (British) A parliamentary procedure for fixing the dates when various stages of discussion of a bill must end, to ensure that the enactment of the bill proceeds expeditiously. (US) A legislative motion that debate be ended and a vote taken; a cloture. guillotine v (transitive) To use a guillotine (on someone or something). (also figuratively) To execute (someone) with a guillotine. To cut or trim (a body part, a stack of paper, etc.) with a guillotine. (law, politics, informal) (British) To end discussion (about a parliamentary bill or part of one) by invoking a guillotine procedure. (US) To end (a legislative debate) by invoking cloture. Today is Bastille Day, the national day of France which commemorates the storming of the Bastille – a key event in the French Revolution – that took place on this day in 1789, and celebrates the unity of the nation.

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