infibulation

American  

[in-fib-yuh-ley-shuhn] / ɪnˌfɪb yəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the stitching together of the vulva, often after a clitoridectomy, leaving a small opening for the passage of urine and menstrual blood.

2. the similar stitching of the male prepuce.

---

Etymology

Origin of infibulation

First recorded in 1640–50; infibulate ( def. )

Example Sentences

Data also suggest Somalia families have switched from infibulation to less severe forms of the ritual.

From Fox News • May 20, 2020

Peney speaks of infibulation for the preservation of chastity, as observed by him in the Soudan.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)

The practice of infibulation was very common in India, from religious motives.

From Aphrodisiacs and Anti-aphrodisiacs: Three Essays on the Powers of Reproduction by Davenport, John

Of what use, indeed, could be the moral lessons of a Plato or a Socrates, even when enforced by infibulation, if vice was thus sanctioned by divine example?

From Aphrodisiacs and Anti-aphrodisiacs: Three Essays on the Powers of Reproduction by Davenport, John