noun

laceration

/læsəˈreɪʃən/ · say it: las·uh·RAY·shuhn

a deep cut or tear in the skin

In Medicine & Health

In more detail

1. (noun) a deep cut or wound in the skin or flesh

2. (noun) the act or process of tearing or cutting something

Examples

1. The accident left a deep laceration on his arm that required stitches.
2. The laceration of the fabric made it unsuitable for use.

How to use laceration

Laceration is a medical or formal term for a jagged or deep wound caused by tearing rather than cutting cleanly. It is commonly used in medical contexts, injury reports, and clinical descriptions where precision about the nature of the injury matters. It is more formal and technical than the everyday word 'cut' or 'wound'.

Common phrases

severe laceration
facial laceration
laceration of the skin
treat a laceration
deep laceration

Synonyms

cut · wound · tear · gash · abrasion

Word family

lacerate (verb) · lacerated (adjective)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse laceration with abrasion; a laceration involves tearing of tissue with depth, while an abrasion is a surface scrape.

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