amputate

1 of 2

verb

am·​pu·​tate ˈam-pyə-ˌtāt 

amputated; amputating

transitive verb

: to remove by or as if by cutting

especially : to cut (a part, such as a limb) from the body

amputation

ˌam-pyə-ˈtā-shən 

noun

amputation

2 of 2

noun

am·​pu·​ta·​tion ˌam-pyə-ˈtā-shən 

plural -s

1

a

: a cutting, pruning, or lopping off

bare thorny stumps and slanting marks of amputation

—Kathleen Fruman

a deliberate amputation of freedom

—Time

b

: excision (as of letters, words, or sentences) from writing

confusion follows too drastic an amputation

—Creighton Peet

2

: an act, process, or instance of amputating a body part whether occurring immediately after an injury or delayed until inflammation and suppuration are present

called also respectively primary amputation, secondary amputation

see congenital amputation, spontaneous amputation

Examples of amputate in a Sentence

Verb

His arm was badly injured and had to be amputated.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

That happens, but the proposal on the ballot is like amputating one’s foot to heal a blister. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026

Once serious infection sets in, amputating a foot or limb may be the only option to save a patient’s life. — Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026

Not to be daunted, Kristen chooses to have a leg amputated, replaced with a prosthetic, rather than lose the ability to surf. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 June 2026

Her body had been cut in half, in a manner resembling a hemicorporectomy, a rare medical procedure in which the lower body is amputated at the waist. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin amputātus, past participle of amputāre "to prune back (a plant), prune away, remove by cutting (unwanted parts or features), cut off (a branch, limb, body part)," from am-, assimilated variant of amb- "about, around" + putāre "to prune, make clean or tidy, scour (wool)" — more at ambient entry 1, putative

Noun

Latin amputation-, amputatio, from amputatus, + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1612, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for amputate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• angulate
• annotate

Kids Definition

amputate

verb

am·​pu·​tate ˈam-pyə-ˌtāt 

amputated; amputating

: to cut off

especially : to cut off an arm or leg from the body

amputation

ˌam-pyə-ˈtā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

amputate

transitive verb

am·​pu·​tate ˈam-pyə-ˌtāt 

amputated; amputating

: to cut (as a limb) from the body

amputation

ˌam-pyə-ˈtā-shən 

noun