A person who causes death, especially an executioner or a skilled killer.
From 'death' plus 'man' (Old English mann). Historical term for executioners, soldiers, or anyone whose profession or role involved dealing death.
In medieval times, the deathsman (executioner) held a grim but official role—and many kept detailed records, making them accidentally some of history's best documentarians of crime and punishment.
A male-form agent noun using -man suffix. Historically, occupational terms defaulted to masculine even when women held the role, as with executioners and other death-related professions.
Use "death official" or "executioner" as gender-neutral alternatives that describe the role without gendered assumption.
["executioner","death official","capital punisher"]
Women served as executioners in various historical periods (e.g., Medieval Europe, China), a contribution typically erased when masculine occupational terms dominated.
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