Mutilate
/ˈmjuː.tɪ.leɪt/noun
To injure or disfigure someone or something by removing or severely damaging a body part.
Did you know?In Latin, mutilus could describe not only a physically maimed person or animal but also an object or text missing essential parts—an early ancestor of calling a damaged manuscript “mutilated.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mutilos
“Ma imed or mutilated; the deeper origin is uncertain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
mutilus
“Ma imed, crippled, or deprived of a limb or other part.”
Classical Latin
Latin
mutilare
“To maim, disfigure, or cut away parts.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
mutilare
“To damage or render incomplete, including a written work.”
14th Century
Old French
mutiler
“To maim or disfigure; borrowed from Latin.”
16th Century
English
mutilate
“To deprive of a limb or essential part; to maim or disfigure.”
Modern English
English
mutilate
“To severely injure, disfigure, or damage by removing or destroying part of something.”
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