avulsion

American  

[uh-vuhl-shuhn] / əˈvʌl ʃən /

noun

1. a tearing away.

2. Law. the sudden removal of soil by change in a river's course or by a flood, from the land of one owner to that of another.

3. a part torn off.

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avulsion British  

/ əˈvʌlʃən /

noun

1. a forcible tearing away or separation of a bodily structure or part, either as the result of injury or as an intentional surgical procedure

2. law the sudden removal of soil from one person's land to that of another, as by flooding

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Etymology

Origin of avulsion

1615–25; < Latin āvulsiōn- (stem of āvulsiō ), equivalent to āvuls ( us ) torn off ( avulse ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Receiver Demarcus Robinson, who caught a touchdown pass, suffered a hand avulsion, but with a protective pad he should be ready to play against the Bills, McVay said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2024

Kotsay said the blister was unrelated to the fingernail avulsion.

From Washington Times • Apr. 18, 2023

She wrote that three months earlier she had injured her Achilles’ tendon and suffered an avulsion fracture in her foot.

From Washington Post • Feb. 7, 2022

UConn: Starting guard Tyrese Martin is dealing with an avulsion fracture of his left wrist, which is expected to keep him out for at least two weeks.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 4, 2021

Did the eyes come away kindly, with no Oedipean avulsion?

From The Best Letters of Charles Lamb by Lamb, Charles