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clitoridectomy

American  
[klit-er-i-dek-tuh-mee] / ˌklɪt ər ɪˈdɛk tə mi /

noun

plural

clitoridectomies

  1. the excision of the clitoris, usually performed as part of female initiation rites, mainly among certain African peoples, but also sometimes used in various societies to curb sexual desire; female circumcision.

clitoridectomy British  
/ ˌklɪtərɪˈdɛktəmɪ /

noun

  1. surgical removal of the clitoris: a form of female circumcision, esp practised as a religious or ethnic rite

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clitoridectomy

First recorded in 1865–70; from Greek clitorid- (combining form of kleitorís clitoris ) + -ectomy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.