am·pu·tate
ˈam-pyə-ˌtāt
amputated; amputating
: to remove by or as if by cutting
especially
: to cut (a part, such as a limb) from the body
am·pu·ta·tion
ˌam-pyə-ˈtā-shən
plural -s
1
a
: a cutting, pruning, or lopping off
bare thorny stumps and slanting marks of amputation—Kathleen Fruman
a deliberate amputation of freedom—Time
b
: excision (as of letters, words, or sentences) from writing
confusion follows too drastic an amputation—Creighton Peet
2
: an act, process, or instance of amputating a body part whether occurring immediately after an injury or delayed until inflammation and suppuration are present
called also respectively primary amputation, secondary amputation
see congenital amputation, spontaneous amputationCite this Entry
“Amputate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amputate. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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