amputation

American  

[am-pyuh-tay-shuhn, am-pyoo-] / ˌæm pjəˈteɪ ʃən, ˌæm pjʊ- /

noun

amputations plural

1. the act or instance of surgically removing a limb or part of a limb.

2. the act of removing something by cutting, as if by surgery.

3. a disability caused by the loss of a limb or part of a limb.

4. Medicine/Medical. any absence or loss of a limb or part of a limb, whether congenitally or due to surgery or disease.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• amputations
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amputation amputations

The family recalled arriving at Addenbrooke's Hospital and experiencing "the worst 12 hours" of their lives after the attack, which involved "signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation".

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

If an amputation occurs in traditional Medicare, the full cost is borne by taxpayers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

All we’re doing is increasing the likelihood of an above-the-knee amputation.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Although the regenerated tissues were not exact matches to the original anatomy, the researchers successfully restored all of the major structures that had been removed during amputation, including bone, tendon, ligament, and joint tissue.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026

Unaware of the near amputation, the cleaning woman stared at the Westing house.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

In Medicare Advantage, the number of amputations is a tiny fraction of that.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Across the U.S., diabetes complications are responsible for roughly 80% of all non-trauma related amputations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

"It's hard to get to societal roots of our problems. But this innovation represents a chance to reduce amputations, improve quality of life, and give the body what it needs to heal itself."

From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2026

Nearly half of the professionals reported that delays in treatment had led to serious complications in their patients, including amputations, surgeries or lifelong mobility problems.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026

In his era, even simple lacerations often left diabetics with savage infections that necessitated limb and digit amputations, a consequence of the disease’s ravaging effect on circulation and immunity.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand