1. One who executes or carries into effect (a command, design, instructions, law, justice, etc.); a perpetrator (of an evil deed). Rare in mod. use.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, III. i. 37. To haue a souldier to be very perfect, and a good executioner indeede.
1619. Hales, Golden Rem. (1688), 455. With them God the Father alone is the Author of our Election, and Christ only the Executioner.
1673. Baxter, Lett., in Answ. Dodwell, 83. The People are Executioners of Excommunications while they withdraw from the Excommunicate.
1683. Apol. Prot. France, ii. 27. The soldiers are employed as Executioners of these Outrages.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (ed. 3), I. 275. To take upon me to be … an Executioner of his [God’s] Justice.
1827. Scott, Napoleon, Introd. The people had a right … to act as the executioners of their own will.
1879. Baring-Gould, Germany, II. 245. German right … trusted to the moral sense as its executioner.
b. One who performs the duties of a place or office. Obs. rare.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1491/2. The verie situation of the place ministreth incouragement to the executioners.
1598. Bacon, Office of Alienations, Wks. 1730, III. 554 (J.). The executioners of this office … cannot be guilty of the doing of any oppression or wrong.
c. transf. said of things. rare.
1647. Crashaw, Poems, Sospetto d’ Herode, xli. All along The walls … Are tooles of Wrath, anvills of torments hung; Fell executioners of foul intents.
1755. in Johnson; whence 1818 in Todd; and in mod. Dicts.
2. gen. One who carries a sentence or judgment into effect; a punisher.
1578. Timme, Calvin on Gen., 222. Howsoever Magistrates do wink, God raiseth up elsewhere exequutioners which repay to bloodshedders their reward.
1678. trans. L. de Gaya’s Art War, I. 34. The Provost Mareschal … hath a Troop of Officers on Horseback, with an Executioner to punish those that offend against the Orders of the … General.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., Matt. xxvii. 5 (1739), 80/2. Conscience is a powerful, though invisible Executioner.
1798. Malthus, Popul., IV. vii. When nature will govern and punish for us, it is a very miserable ambition to wish to … draw upon ourselves the odium of executioner.
3. The official who carries out a sentence of death; a headsman, hangman, etc.
1561. Brende, Q. Curtius, VIII. 153. He being a kynge had vsed the detestable office of an execucyoner.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., IV. ii. 222. Call your executioner, and off with Barnardines head.
1698. Ludlow, Mem., I. 245. The King … kneeled down at the block, and the executioner performed his office.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., I. 320. The executioners … were fatigued.
1859. L. Oliphant, China & Japan, II. ix. 194. Criminals who have committed crimes worthy of death, forestall the public executioner.
4. transf. and fig. a. One who puts another to death. b. One who or that which tortures like an executioner or hangman.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. ii. 186. Though I wish thy death, I will not be thy Executioner.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. III. iv. A poysoned worme … gnawing the very heart, a perpetuall executioner.
1658–9. Burton’s Diary (1828), IV. 48. It is likely they will not be their own executioners.
1755. in Johnson.
1840. Hood, Up the Rhine, 322. What is war … but a great wholesale executioner.
Hence Executioneress, a female executioner.
1656. S. Holland, Zara, 133. Your name … should be hangd, drawn, and quartered, by the common Executioneress Fame.
1864. R. F. Burton, Dahome, II. 40. The Min-gan had a bill-hook in her left hand, as executioneress of the inside.
