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 after all of that talk of a 127 Hours-style rescue, Avery merely has to dislocate the woman’s elbow to dislodge her arm and bring her safely to shore. Claire Franken, TVLine, 24 Oct. 2024 This was a period when the boundary between public and private was being redrawn, not only with the onslaught of handheld cameras but also, more broadly, because of the dislocating forces of what historians call the Second Industrial Revolution. Ben Tarnoff, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2024 Randle averaged 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists through 46 games last season before dislocating his right shoulder in late January and later opting for season-ending surgery. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024 But one of the three newer arrivals, a large, adult female named Yippee, arrived with a broken and dislocated jaw. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 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 31 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!