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clitoridectomy

[ klit-er-i-dek-tuh-mee ]
/ ˌklɪt ər ɪˈdɛk tə mi /
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noun, plural clit·o·ri·dec·to·mies.
the excision of the clitoris, usually performed as part of female initiation rites, mainly among certain African peoples, but also sometimes used in various societies to curb sexual desire; female circumcision.
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Origin of clitoridectomy

First recorded in 1865–70; from Greek clitorid- (combining form of kleitorís clitoris) + -ectomy

Words nearby clitoridectomy

Clite, clitellum, clithral, clitic, cliticize, clitoridectomy, clitoris, Clive, Cliveden, clivers, clivia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for clitoridectomy

clitoridectomy
/ (ˌklɪtərɪˈdɛktəmɪ) /
noun plural -mies
surgical removal of the clitoris: a form of female circumcision, esp practised as a religious or ethnic rite
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
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