Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cut off (a limb, digit, or other part of the body) by surgical operation, typically as a medical necessity.

Usage

The verb "amputate" is used in medical contexts to describe the surgical removal of a body part. It is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (the body part being removed). It is most commonly used in the passive voice when describing what happened to a patient.

Examples

• Active Voice:
  • The surgeon had to amputate the gangrenous foot to save the patient's life.
  • In severe cases of trauma, doctors may be forced to amputate a limb.
• Passive Voice:
  • His leg was amputated after the accident.
  • If the infection spreads, the finger will need to be amputated.

Advanced Usage

• "to amputate something from something": This construction is less common but can be used to specify the source.
  • The procedure involved amputating the necrotic tissue from the surrounding healthy area.

Variants and Related Words

• Amputation (n): The act or process of amputating; the surgical removal of a limb or other appendage.
  • The amputation was successful, and the patient is now recovering.
• Amputee (n): A person who has had a limb amputated.
  • The clinic provides support for new amputees.

Synonyms

• Sever: To cut off, especially in a medical or surgical context. ("Sever" can be more general, while "amputate" is specifically surgical.)
• Remove surgically: A more descriptive phrase with the same meaning.

Antonyms

• Reattach: To sew a severed body part back on.
  • Surgeons were able to reattach the severed finger.
• Transplant: To transfer (an organ or tissue) from one part of the body or individual to another.

Related Phrases/Idioms

Note: There are no common idioms using the word "amputate" itself. It is a precise medical term.

Verb

1. remove surgically
   • amputate limbs