Definition of "female circumcision" [female circumcision]

• Partial or complete removal of the clitoris, prepuce, or labia of a girl or young woman, as practiced among certain cultures, especially in parts of Africa and western Asia. Also called clitoridectomy. (noun)

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.