avulsion

/əˈvʌlʃən/
noun
  1. The forcible tearing away or separation of a body part or structure.
    • The accident caused an avulsion of the fingernail.
    • Nerve avulsion can lead to permanent loss of function.
    • Doctors treated the avulsion of the skin flap with stitches.
  2. In law, the sudden removal of land by natural forces such as flood or change in a river's course.
    • After the flood, the property line changed due to avulsion.
    • Legal disputes over avulsion can be complicated.
    • The farmer lost a strip of land to avulsion when the river shifted.
What does "avulsion" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean