circumcise
/ˈsəːkəmsʌɪz
/verb [with object]
1Cut 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.Shemot Rabbah tells us that the Jews ceased circumcising their sons to blend in better with their Egyptian hosts....
- As a mother, over time I have come to regret that my son was circumcised.
- My wife Devorah and I were resolute about our decision not to circumcise our son.
2(As a practice traditional in some cultures) partially or totally remove the external genitalia of (a girl or young woman) for non-medical reasons.The Shija female initiation ceremony was performed after the young women were circumcised....
- Particular ethnic groups circumcise their women during pregnancy, when they are in labour or when they have given birth to their first child.
- The colonial authorities had arrested a woman for circumcising her daughter.
Derivatives
circumciser
- The activists made the allegation after a meeting of former circumcisers.
- Virtually all of their mothers had been cut by a traditional circumciser.
- The main recommendations included penalizing circumcisers and those who contribute to the act.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French circonciser, or from Latin circumcis- 'cut around', from the verb circumcidere, from circum 'around, about' + caedere 'to cut'.