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circumcise
verb
cir·cum·cise
ˈsər-kəm-ˌsīz
circumcised; circumcising
: to cut off the foreskin of (a male) or the prepuce or clitoris and labia minora of (a female)
circumciser
noun
Examples of circumcise in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many of the million or so new arrivals had never kept kosher or been circumcised, and roughly a quarter of those weren’t considered Jews by Israel’s rabbinic establishment, usually because their mothers, like Zoya’s, weren’t Jewish.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024
The New Zealand Herald reports that the patient was bandaged and didn’t realize he’d been fully circumcised until days after he was discharged.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2024
Nearly two years ago, Chanel Ayan revealed on an episode of The Real Housewives of Dubai that she and her older sister Ifrah were circumcised as children without her family’s knowledge.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 27 May 2024
Hunter’s relative, Adam, who was living in Warsaw with false papers, found a way to hide the fact that he was circumcised from a landlord who accused him of being Jewish.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin circumcisus, past participle of circumcidere, from circum- + caedere to cut
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of circumcise was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near circumcise
Cite this Entry
“Circumcise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumcise. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
circumcise
transitive verb
cir·cum·cise
ˈsər-kəm-ˌsīz
circumcised; circumcising
1
: to cut off the foreskin of (a male) or the prepuce of (a female)
2
: to cut off all or part of the external genitalia and especially the clitoris and labia minora of (a female) see female genital mutilation
circumciser
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on circumcise
Nglish: Translation of circumcise for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of circumcise for Arabic Speakers
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