verb
amputate
AM-pyoo-tayt/ˈæmpjuteɪt/
To surgically remove a limb or other body part.
The surgeon explains why the badly injured limb must be amputated.
Etymology
“Around” and “prune” combine in a Latin verb meaning to cut around, prune, or cut off. The pruning image connects removing branches with removing a bodily limb; early English use covered both plants and people.
In context
his arms were deteriorating rapidly later on in the day the decision to amputate both arms was taken and the surgery was performed around 400 p.m.
More examples
- The team decides whether it can avoid amputating the damaged finger.
- His leg was amputated after the accident.
- The medical history records an operation to amputate part of the foot.
Forms
amputate · amputates · amputated · amputating
amputation noun — Removal of a limb or other body part.
Similar words
- remove
- The broader term, without specifying surgical loss of a body part.
- resect
- Usually means cutting out tissue rather than removing an entire limb.