To severely damage or injure something by tearing, crushing, or removing parts of it.
From Latin 'mutilare' (to maim), derived from 'mutilus' (maimed or docked). The root likely connects to 'mutare' (to change), suggesting a violent change of form.
The word 'mutilate' appears shockingly often in classical mythology and medieval literature—the Greeks and Romans seemed obsessed with describing gruesome mutilations of enemies and gods, which tells us something about how violence was both condemned and spectacularized in ancient storytelling.
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