A guillotine (/ˈɡɪlətiːn/; French: [ɡijɔtin]) is an apparatus designed for carrying out executions by beheading. It consists of a tall, upright frame in which a weighted and angled blade is raised to the top and suspended. The condemned person is secured at the bottom of the frame, with his or her neck held directly below the blade. The blade is then released, to fall swiftly and sever the head from the body.