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mutilate
[ myoot-l-eyt ]
/ ˈmyut lˌeɪt /
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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, nounWord Origin for mutilate
C16: from Latin mutilāre to cut off; related to mutilus maimed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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