amputate

verb

am·​pu·​tate ˈam-pyə-ˌtāt How to pronounce amputate (audio)
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 noun

Examples of amputate in a Sentence

His arm was badly injured and had to be amputated.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just months after the wedding, Moser was in a motorcycle accident and had to have his left leg amputated. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 June 2025 So, the welfare group amputated her legs and rehabilitated her before sending her halfway across the world in March 2023 to a partner animal welfare organization called Twenty Paws in New York City. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 18 May 2025 But within days, his legs had to be amputated in the hospital. Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2025 An Idaho teen is in critical condition with his leg amputated after police shot him nine times. Andres Gutierrez, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for amputate

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amputate was in 1612

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Amputate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amputate. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

amputate

verb
am·​pu·​tate ˈam-pyə-ˌtāt How to pronounce amputate (audio)
amputated; amputating
: to cut off
especially : to cut off an arm or leg from the body
amputation noun

Medical Definition

amputate

transitive verb
am·​pu·​tate ˈam-pyə-ˌtāt How to pronounce amputate (audio)
amputated; amputating
: to cut (as a limb) from the body
amputation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on amputate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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