decapitate

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
decapitate /dɪˈkapɪteɪt/

▶verb

• 1 cut off the head of.

• 2 attempt to undermine (a group) by removing its leaders.

– derivatives
decapitation noun,
decapitator noun.

– origin C17: from late L. decapitat-, decapitare ‘to decapitate’, from de- + caput, capit- ‘head’.