amputee

noun

am·​pu·​tee ˌam-pyə-ˈtē How to pronounce amputee (audio)
: one that has had a limb amputated

Examples of amputee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Last month, Byrd took the field as an East Carolina University Pirate, becoming the first ever amputee to play in a Division I baseball game. Stephanie Gallman Jordan, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2024 In the United States alone, over 41,000 people are upper-arm amputees, navigating life without the use of one or both hands. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The sessions for the amputee footballers normally run for two hours. Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 Suddenly, an amputee could walk at different speeds. Jothy Rosenberg, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 One forearm amputee, for instance, could perfectly discriminate between cold objects, room-temperature objects, and hot objects. IEEE Spectrum, 9 Feb. 2024 Most projects to restore feeling to amputees involve implants in the body, which have advantages but also create some hurdles. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Even painkillers to help amputees with chronic pain are running low, staff say. NBC News, 7 Jan. 2024 From time to time, the men pause to stand on one leg while crossing the other in front and holding it by the shin — balancing like amputees. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amputee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

amput(ate) + -ee entry 1

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amputee was in 1910

Dictionary Entries Near amputee

Cite this Entry

“Amputee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amputee. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

amputee

noun
am·​pu·​tee ˌam-pyə-ˈtē How to pronounce amputee (audio)
: one that has had an arm or leg amputated

Medical Definition

amputee

noun
am·​pu·​tee ˌam-pyə-ˈtē How to pronounce amputee (audio)
: one that has had a limb amputated

More from Merriam-Webster on amputee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!