dislocate

verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
-lə-;
(ˌ)dis-ˈlō- How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
dislocated; dislocating; dislocates

transitive verb

1
: to put out of place
specifically : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2
: to force a change in the usual status, relationship, or order of : disrupt

Examples of dislocate in a Sentence

She fell and dislocated her shoulder. The new hotel will dislocate several businesses. Thousands of workers have been dislocated by the latest economic crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web But that nice legal argument does not obscure the fact that a disproportionate share of those dislocated are brown-skinned and Muslim. Lee Hockstader, Washington Post, 1 July 2024 On Thursday, June 20, the two-time British Olympic champion, 30, revealed a trip in her backyard led to her not only dislocating her ankle, but also breaking her leg and damaging her ligaments. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024 The two-time Olympic champion, who was favored to win gold in Paris this year, broke her leg in two places and dislocated her ankle after tripping on a step, the 30-year-old cyclist said on social media. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 20 June 2024 The skid directly coincides with the moment Julius Randle dislocated his right shoulder at the end of the Knicks’ blowout victory over the Miami Heat. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for dislocate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dislocate.' 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

Medieval Latin dislocatus, past participle of dislocare, from Latin dis- + locare to locate

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dislocate was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near dislocate

Cite this Entry

“Dislocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dislocate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

dislocate

verb
dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
(ˈ)dis-ˈlō-
1
: to put out of place
especially : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2

Medical Definition

dislocate

transitive verb
dislocated; dislocating
: to put (a body part) out of order by displacing a bone from its normal connections with another bone
he dislocated his shoulder
also : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
the humerus was dislocated in the fall

More from Merriam-Webster on dislocate

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