amputation
Americannoun
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the act or instance of surgically removing a limb or part of a limb.
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the act of removing something by cutting, as if by surgery.
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a disability caused by the loss of a limb or part of a limb.
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Medicine/Medical. any absence or loss of a limb or part of a limb, whether congenitally or due to surgery or disease.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A former engineer who underwent a life-saving amputation has built his own prosthetic limb for swimming.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Lindsey Vonn is less than two months removed from a skiing accident at the Milan-Cortina Olympics that almost resulted in the amputation of her left leg.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
In a video shared on Monday, she explained her numerous injuries and the surgery that allowed her to avoid an amputation.
From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026
These slow healing injuries significantly raise the risk of infection, tissue damage, and amputation.
From Science Daily • Feb. 22, 2026
Unaware of the near amputation, the cleaning woman stared at the Westing house.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
