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body modification

American  
[bod-ee mod-uh-fi-kay-shuhn] / ˈbɒd i mɒd ə fɪˌkeɪ ʃən /
Also body mod

noun

  1. any method of making permanent changes to the body, including piercing, tattooing, subdermal implants, etc., usually for aesthetic purposes or personal expression.

  2. a permanent change made to the body by piercing, tattooing, implants, etc.


body modification British  

noun

  1. any method of permanently adorning the body, including tattooing and piercing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of body modification

First recorded in 1985–90


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.

See Examples For:

Mr Gustavson, 45, is accused of leading an extreme body modification operation.

From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2023

She owned the Sol Tribe Tattoo & Piercing shop and had worked in the body modification industry since 1994, according to a biography of her on the shop’s website.

From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2021

Brazilian tattoo artist Michel Faro Prado has taken body modification to a new level by transforming himself into a devil look-alike.

From Reuters ● Aug. 20, 2021

They received body modification surgery to resemble one another as a single being named Breyer P-Orridge and adopted gender neutral pronouns.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 14, 2020

It’s not necessarily worth trying to ground an interest in low-stakes body modification as being trans-related or not.

From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2019

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