lacerate
/ˈlæ.sɚ.ɛɪt/ verb, adjective
Forms lacerates lacerating lacerated
- verb (transitive) To tear, rip or wound.
- verb (transitive, figurative) To defeat thoroughly; to thrash.
- adjective (obsolete) Mangled, torn, lacerated.
- adjective (botany) Jagged, as if torn or lacerated. “The bract at the base is dry and papery, often lacerate near its apex.”
Synonyms
Etymology
The verb is first attested in 1425, the adjective in 1514; inherited from Middle English laceraten, borrowed from Latin lacerātus, perfect passive participle of lacerō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To tear; to rend; to separate by tearing; to mangle; as, to lacerate the flesh. Hence: To afflict; to torture; as, to lacerate the heart.
- Rent; torn; mangled; as, a lacerated wound.
- Jagged, or slashed irregularly, at the end, or along the edge.
Etymology [L. laceratus, p. p. of lacerare to lacerate, fr. lacer mangled, lacerated; cf. Gr. slay.]
Etymology [L. laceratus, p. p.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lacerate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details