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clitoridectomy

 
Dictionary: clit·o·ri·dec·to·my   (klĭt'ər-ĭ-dĕk'tə-mē, klī'tər-) pronunciation
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also clit·o·rec·to·my (klĭt'ə-rĕk'tə-mē, klī'tə-)
n., pl., -mies, also -mies.
  1. Surgical removal of the clitoris.
  2. See female circumcision.

[Greek kleitoris, kleitorid-, clitoris; see clitoris + -ECTOMY.]


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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: female genital cutting
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Surgical procedure ranging from drawing blood, to removing the clitoris alone, to infibulation or Pharaonic circumcision — removing the external genitals, joining the sides and leaving a small opening. The practice dates to ancient times; usually performed on young girls and in a ritual context, it is purported by its practitioners to guard a girl's virginity and reduce her sexual desires. Because it is usually undertaken in unhygienic conditions, cutting may lead to severe bleeding, infection, debilitating pain, and death; long-term consequences can include an inability to urinate or expel menstrual blood, pain during sexual intercourse, and prolonged childbirth. In some cultures women are reinfibulated after childbirth, while others discourage this practice.

For more information on female genital cutting, visit Britannica.com.

Veterinary Dictionary: clitoridectomy
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Home > Library > Animal Life > Veterinary Dictionary

Excision of the clitoris.

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more