The head dangled grotesquely, dribbling blood from the raw neck stump.

The decapitation, he saw from the condition of the neck stump, had been performed precisely and cleanly, with a perfectly level blade.

It feeds by thrusting food through its neck stump.

The hacksaw was put away and with tired, trembling hands Sabat placed the severed head against the neck stump.

His nephew then came upon the idea (possibly inspired by Athena) of using a firebrand to scorch the neck stumps after each decapitation.

The boy's body pitched forward, throwing a long spurt of rich red blood from its neck stump, kicked out twice, and lay still.

Iolaos sealed the neck stumps with torches so other heads could not grow in their place.

He marked the jaggedness of the neck stump, where Charmian had hacked and sliced unskillfully.

Closer the raw neck stump came, till Chup could hear the fountaining of its blood vessels.

Snuffling and grunting, he shoved his maw into the raw gore of the neck stump.