mutilation

/ˌmjutəˈleɪʃən/
noun
  1. The act of damaging or injuring a person or animal severely, especially by cutting off or destroying a body part.
    • Animal mutilation is a serious crime in many countries.
    • The ancient practice of mutilation was used as a punishment for thieves.
    • The survivors of the attack suffered terrible mutilation.
  2. Severe damage or spoiling of an object, text, or work of art.
    • The mutilation of the document made it impossible to read.
    • The mutilation of the historic monument shocked the community.
    • Art experts were horrified by the mutilation of the priceless painting.
What does "mutilation" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean