amputate

[ am-pyoo-teyt ]

verb (used with object)

, am·pu·tat·ed, am·pu·tat·ing.

1. to cut off (all or part of a limb or digit of the body), as by surgery.
2. to prune, lop off, or remove:

   Because of space limitations the editor amputated the last two paragraphs of the news report.

3. Obsolete. to prune, as branches of trees.

amputate

/ ˈæmpjʊˌteɪt /

verb

1. surgery to remove (all or part of a limb, esp an arm or leg)

Derived Forms

• ˌampuˈtation, noun
• ˈampuˌtator, noun

Other Words From

• ampu·tation noun
• ampu·tative adjective
• ampu·tator noun
• nonam·pu·tation noun
• postam·pu·tation adjective
• self-ampu·tation noun
• un·ampu·tated adjective
• un·ampu·tative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of amputate¹

1630–40; < Latin amputātus pruned, trimmed (past participle of amputāre ), equivalent to am ( bi ) around ( ambi- ) + put- trim + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of amputate¹

C17: from Latin amputāre, from am- around + putāre to trim, prune

Example Sentences

As they investigate the secret behind the hypnotic television signal, Mono and Six visit a school full of feral children and a hospital where prosthetic limbs overflow storage bins like so many amputated doll parts.

From Washington Post

Eventually she had to have both limbs amputated above the knee.

From ProPublica

Nerve cells in amputated spider legs responded to the wide range of frequencies.

From Science News For Students

Her front leg had been amputated to stop the cancer from spreading.

From Science News For Students

Their commander is a serious man with his left arm amputated just below the elbow.

From Ozy

He was removed to the rear, and the doctors decided that it was necessary to amputate the right leg.

From Project Gutenberg

Will it cripple you seriously to lose that hand; because Im afraid theyll have to amputate when you go down.

From Project Gutenberg

The thing necessary was to amputate the gangrened limb, and so prevent the disease from attacking the whole body.

From Project Gutenberg

True, her right leg was broken, and it had been necessary to amputate her left foot in order to save her life.

From Project Gutenberg

For a moment she had a passing dream that some one was trying to amputate her hand with a wood-saw, then it all came back to her.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cut away
• cut off
• sever