. "mutilate [myo????o??t???'l ??t???] transitive verb mutilated, mutilating to cut off or damage a limb or other important part of (a person or animal) to damage, injure, or otherwise mar, esp. by removing an essential part or parts: to mutilate a book by censorshipOrigin of mutilate; from Classical Latin mutilatus, past participle of mutilare, to maim, mutilate ; from mutilus, maimed; akin to Irish" . . .