circumcise
UK /ˈsəːkəmsʌɪz/ · US /ˈsɚkəmˌsaɪz/ verb
Forms circumcises circumcising circumcised circumcize
- verb To surgically remove the foreskin (prepuce) from the penis of.
- verb (sometimes proscribed) To surgically remove the clitoris (clitoridectomy), clitoral hood, or labia.
- verb (military, nautical, slang) To trim off the portion of the barrel liner of a large-caliber naval gun that protrudes from the end of the barrel as a result of the liner slowly stretching from prolonged fire.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English circumcisen, from Old French circumciser (modern French circoncire) and its etymon Latin circumcīsus, the past participle of circumcīdō (“cut around”), from circum (“about, around; through”) + caedō (“cut, hew”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To cut off the prepuce of foreskin of, in the case of males, and the internal labia of, in the case of females.
- verb To purify spiritually.
Etymology [L. circumcisus, p. p. of circumcidere to cut around, to circumcise; circum + caedere to cut; akin to E. cæsura, homicide, concise, and prob. to shed, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “circumcise”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details