mutilate

What it means

1. To physically harm as to impair use, notably by cutting off or otherwise disabling a vital part, such as a limb.

   mutilated currency

   2 more examples

   Little old lady got mutilated late last night Werewolves of London again.

   1978, “Werewolves of London”, in Warren Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel (music), Excitable Boy, performed by Warren Zevon

   MANILA — The Philippine military said on Wednesday that troops had found the mutilated bodies of 17 civilians in the besieged southern city of Marawi, where government forces have been struggling to dislodge militants who have entrenched themselves for the last month.

   2017 June 23, Felipe Villamor, “Philippine Military Says 17 Mutilated Civilian Bodies Found in Marawi”, in The New York Times

2. To destroy beyond recognition.
3. figurativelyTo render imperfect or defective.

   1 more example

   For two reasons then it is right to be content with that which happens to thee; the one, because it was done for thee and prescribed for thee, and in a manner had reference to thee, originally from the most ancient causes spun with thy destiny; and the other, because even that which comes severally to every man is to the power which administers the universe a cause of felicity and perfection, nay even of its very continuance. For the integrity of the whole is mutilated, if thou cuttest off anything whatever from the conjunction and the continuity either of the parts or of the causes. And thou dost cut off, as far as it is in thy power, when thou art dissatisfied, and in a manner triest to put anything out of the way.

   1862, George Long (translation of Marcus Aurelius), Meditations, Book V

In a sentence

mutilated currency

Where it comes from

1. Latinmutilātus
2. Englishmutilate

Learned borrowing from Latin mutilātus, the perfect passive participle of mutilō (“to mutilate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), itself from mutilus (“maimed”).