Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense dislocates, present participle dislocating, past tense, past participle dislocated
1. verb
If you dislocate a bone or joint in your body, or in someone else's body, it moves out of its proper position in relation to other bones, usually in an accident.
Harrison dislocated a finger. [VERB noun]
He suffered a dislocated shoulder, cuts and bruises. [VERB-ed]
2. verb
To dislocate something such as a system, process, or way of life means to disturb it greatly or prevent it from continuing as normal.
It would help to end illiteracy, but it would also dislocate a traditional way oflife. [VERB noun]
The strike at the financial nerve centre was designed to dislocate the economy. [VERB noun]
...America's chronicler of dislocated lives. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: disrupt, confuse, disturb, disorder More Synonyms of dislocate
More Synonyms of dislocate
dislocate in British English
(ˈdɪsləˌkeɪt)
verb(transitive)
1.
to disrupt or shift out of place or position
2.
to displace (an organ or part) from its normal position, esp a bone from its joint
dislocate in American English
(ˈdɪsloʊˌkeɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈdisloˌcated or ˈdisloˌcating
1.
to put out of place; specif., to displace (a bone) from its proper position at a joint
2.
to upset the order of; disarrange; disrupt
Word origin
< ML dislocatus, pp. of dislocare: see di-1 & locate
Examples of 'dislocate' in a sentence
dislocate
If I saw the fat glossy catalogues I'd nearly dislocate my shoulder to ease the things out.
Dexter Petley WHITE LIES (2003)
He'd slap the cuffs on extra tight; he'd choke to subdue; he'd break wrists and dislocate arms.
Chuck Logan VAPOR TRAIL (2003)
In other languages
dislocate
British English: dislocate VERB
If you dislocate a bone or joint in your body, it moves out of its proper position in relation to other bones, usually in an accident.