Abscise

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əbˈsaɪz/

Definitions

1. To remove or cut off a part, typically by surgical or precise cutting action
2. To sever or detach something by cutting it away from the main body or structure
3. To excise or cut out a portion from a larger whole by a deliberate slicing action

Etymology: Ancient Latin speakers used "abscīdere" for ordinary cutting: a gardener lopping a branch or a farmer trimming a vine. The English verb "abscise" grew from the past participle "abscīsus", so it carries the same two-part construction as its source, "abs-" meaning "away" or "off" and "caedere" meaning "to cut". Each piece of the word therefore describes the act directly, with nothing metaphorical added. The word is a technical coinage rather than an everyday one. Its use is concentrated in botany and medicine, where it describes a plant shedding a leaf, flower or fruit at a natural joint, or a surgeon removing tissue with a precise cut. In those settings the cutting is controlled, which is why "abscise" tends to suggest neat, deliberate removal rather than the rough breaking off that "snap" or "tear" would imply.

Synonyms: cut off, remove, sever, detach, excise

Antonyms: attach, join, connect, add, include