verb
amputate
AMP-yuu-tayt
verb
1
To surgically remove all or part of a limb or other body part.
"Surgeons had to amputate his leg below the knee after the accident."
"The infection spread so fast that doctors amputated her fingers to save her hand."
How to Use Amputate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo cut off a body part, usually surgically, often to stop the spread of injury or infection.
Common pairings
amputate a limb
forced to amputate
Word Forms
amputated past tense, amputates singular
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Surgeons had to _____ his leg below the knee after the accident.
Etymology
From Latin amputare, "to cut away, prune" — originally used for trimming trees before it took on its modern surgical sense.