clitoridectomy

American Heritage Dictionary:

clit·o·ri·dec·to·my

(klĭt'ər-ĭ-dĕk'tə-mē, klī'tər-) pronunciation

also clit·o·rec·to·my (klĭt'ə-rĕk'tə-mē, klī'tə-)
n., pl., -mies, also -mies.

Surgical removal of the clitoris.
See female circumcision.

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

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female genital cutting

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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.

Saunders Veterinary Dictionary:

clitoridectomy

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Excision of the clitoris.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'clitoridectomy'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier

For a list of words related to clitoridectomy, see:

Perversions, Fetishes, and Titillations - clitoridectomy: excision of clitoris to curb female sexual desire

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The New York Times Is it morally wrong for anyone to perform clitoridectomies on little girls? Read answer...

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		American Heritage 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. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Saunders 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
		Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved. Read more