Jump to content

circumcision

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

[edit]

From Latin circumcīsiō, from circumcīdō (cut around), from circum (about, around; through) + caedō (cut, hew).

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

circumcision (countable and uncountable, plural circumcisions)

  1. The surgical excision of the foreskin and usually all or most of the penile frenulum.
    • 1697, Benjamin Keach, A Counter-Antidote to Purge Out the Effects of a Late Counterfeit[2], page 7:
      So ſay I , did the Covenant of circumciſion, in that he that was circumciſed was bound to keep the whole Law Gal 5. 3.
    1. (modern Judaism, usually specifically) Pharisaic circumcision.
    2. (chiefly historical or Philippines) Other surgeries involving the incision or partial excision of the foreskin or penile frenulum without total posthetomy.
      The ancient Egyptians practiced circumcision by creating a dorsal incision in the foreskin.
  2. The surgical excision of the clitoral hood of the clitoris; female circumcision.
  3. (often proscribed) The surgical excision of the clitoris; clitoridectomy.

Usage notes

[edit]

It is highly controversial whether or not male circumcision, when performed without medical necessity (e.g., routinely or religiously), constitutes a form of genital mutilation.[1] Female circumcision performed thus, however, is widely recognized as a form of genital mutilation.

Synonyms

[edit]

Hypernyms

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]
[edit]

Translations

[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Nunn, Gary (2019 July 20) “Foreskin reclaimers: the 'intactivists' fighting infant male circumcision”, in The Guardian[1], London, archived from the original on 31 May 2020