noun

dislocation

dis-loh-KAY-shun/ˌdɪsləʊˈkeɪʃn/

Displacement from the normal arrangement.

The shoulder dislocation leaves the upper arm bone outside its socket.

Two clean anatomical shoulder views compare aligned humeral head in the glenoid with a clearly displaced head outside it; correct bone geometry, no gore or treatment steps.

Etymology

disLatinaway, apart

+locLatinplace

+ationLatinaction or result

The “place” here is a bone’s normal position in a joint, and dis- marks displacement from it. The noun turns that putting-out-of-place into the name of the injury.

In context

Science Art0:00

Force on a joint can cause a dislocation. The force pushes the bone out of the socket

How Shoulder Dislocation Occurs Animation - Shoulder Joint Dislocation Video

More examples

The factory closure causes economic dislocation throughout the town.
Repeated dislocations can make the shoulder joint unstable.
A dislocation interrupts the regular arrangement of atoms in the crystal.

Forms

dislocation · dislocations

dislocate verb — To move out of normal position.

Similar words

displacement: Emphasizes movement away from an original or usual position.
disruption: Emphasizes interrupted activity or order rather than physical misalignment.