Intentional modification of the human body for religious, aesthetic, or social reasons. It is frequently performed for magical or pseudo-medical purposes, but cosmetic motives are equally common. The variability of the results in different cultures reflects varying ideals of beauty or morality. Modifications include head flattening, insertion of a lip plug, tattoos, scarification, and piercing of the ear and other parts of the body. Mutilations include male and female circumcision, foot binding, and amputation
If a person or animal is mutilated, their body is severely damaged, usually by someone who physically attacks them. More than 30 horses have been mutilated in the last nine months He tortured and mutilated six young men The mutilated bodies of seven men have been found beside a railway line. + mutilation mutilations mu·ti·la·tion Amnesty International chronicles cases of torture and mutilation