To remove or destroy the head or brain of an organism, typically for scientific purposes or execution.
From de- + cephal- (Greek kephalē, 'head') + -ize (to make or cause). The verb form was created alongside decephalization as medical terminology became more systematic in the 19th century.
French scientists in the 1800s used this technique on animals to study how much the brain controlled body functions—they were literally asking 'how much is instinct versus brain?' through shocking experiments.
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