avulsing
|a-vuls-ing|
/əˈvʌlsɪŋ/
(avulse)
tear away
Etymology
'avulse' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'avulsus', the past participle of 'avellere', where the prefix 'ab-' (variant 'a-') meant 'away' and 'vellere' meant 'to pull or pluck.'
'avulse' changed from Latin 'avulsus' and Late/Medieval Latin forms such as 'avulsio', and via Old French/modern French forms like 'avulser' entered English usage as 'avulse' and the related noun 'avulsion'.
Initially it meant 'to pull or pluck away'; over time the sense has specialized to 'to tear away or detach', frequently used in medical and forensic contexts to describe tissue separation.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present-participle form of 'avulse'; performing the action 'to avulse' — to tear away or detach (especially by force or trauma), often used in medical contexts to describe tissue or structures being forcibly separated.
The accident left the patient with soft tissue avulsing from his forearm.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/03 19:56