de·cap·i·tate 
(dĭ-kăpĭ-tāt′)
(dĭ-kăpĭ-tāt′)tr.v. de·cap·i·tat·ed, de·cap·i·tat·ing, de·cap·i·tates
1. To cut off the head of; behead.
2. To destroy or incapacitate (a government or organization, for example) by killing or removing its leader or leaders.
[Late Latin dēcapitāre, dēcapitāt- : Latin dē-, de- + Latin caput, capit-, head; see kaput- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
de·cap′i·tation n.
de·capi·ta′tor n.