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Definition of "dislocate" [dis•lo•cate]

  • To put out of usual or proper place, position, or relationship. (verb-transitive)
  • To displace (a body part), especially to displace a bone from its normal position. (verb-transitive)
  • To throw into confusion or disorder; disrupt: a continuing drought that dislocated the state's economy. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "dislocate" in a sentence
  • "According to the Office of Medical Services '(OMS) guidelines, these techniques were designed to "psychologically' dislocate 'the detainee, maximize his feeling of vulnerability and helplessness, and reduce or eliminate his will to resist our efforts to obtain critical intelligence. ""
  • "According to the Office of Medical Services' OMS guidelines, these techniques were designed to "psychologically 'dislocate' the detainee, maximize his feeling of vulnerability and helplessness, and reduce or eliminate his will to resist our efforts to obtain critical intelligence.""
  • "But first, before they staked her, their plan was to dislocate her joints and break the big bones of the arms and legs."