Decapitation or beheading is the act of cutting off the head from the rest of the body of a living thing. "Beheading" usually means that the removal of the head is deliberate. It is generally done during an execution with an axe, sword, or guillotine. If the removal of the head is an accident or unintentional, it is called "decapitation". It can happen because of an auto accident, explosion, factory accident, a mistake during a hanging or some other violent accident.