English → Latin
“decapitate” in Latin
percutiōto strike, beat; to make an impression on the mind, touch, please, delight, astonish, shock; to killdēcollōto decapitate or behead
The English word decapitate itself goes back to Latin dēcapitāre.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
decapitate
caput alicujus praecidere (with a sword, when the person is not previously strangled): caput cervicibus abscidere, or cervicibus fractis caput abscidere (when the person is previously strangled, Cic., Phil. 11, 2, 5): securi ferire or percutere (with the axe, by the executioner): decollare (post- Augustan, and in the less elevated style).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for decapitate?
- The usual Latin words for “decapitate” are percutiō, dēcollō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.