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circumcise

Syllabification: (cir·cum·cise)
Pronunciation: /ˈsərkəmˌsīz/
Translate circumcise | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of circumcise

verb

[with object]
  • cut off the foreskin of (a young boy or man, especially a baby) as a religious rite, especially in Judaism and Islam, or as a medical treatment.
  • cut off the clitoris, and sometimes the labia, of (a girl or young woman) as a traditional practice among some peoples.

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French circonciser, or from Latin circumcis- 'cut around', from the verb circumcidere, from circum 'around, about' + caedere 'to cut'

Spelling help

Circumcise ends in -ise.

circumcise in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of circumcise in the British & World English dictionary
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