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mutilate

[ myoot-l-eyt ]
/ ˈmyut lˌeɪt /
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See synonyms for: mutilate / mutilated / mutilation on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), mu·ti·lat·ed, mu·ti·lat·ing.
to injure, disfigure, or make imperfect by removing or irreparably damaging parts: Vandals mutilated the painting.
to deprive (a person or animal) of a limb or other essential part.
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Origin of mutilate

1525–35; from Latin mutilātus (past participle of mutilāre “to cut off, maim”), equivalent to mutil(us) “maimed, mutilated” + -ātus-ate1

synonym study for mutilate

2. See maim.

OTHER WORDS FROM mutilate

Words nearby mutilate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mutilate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mutilate

mutilate
/ (ˈmjuːtɪˌleɪt) /

verb (tr)
to deprive of a limb, essential part, etc; maim; dismember
to mar, expurgate, or damage (a text, book, etc)

Derived forms of mutilate

mutilation, nounmutilative, adjectivemutilator, noun

Word Origin for mutilate

C16: from Latin mutilāre to cut off; related to mutilus maimed
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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