dislocate

verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt 

-lə-;

(ˌ)dis-ˈlō- 

dislocated; dislocating; dislocates

transitive verb

1

: to put out of place

specifically : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone

2

: to force a change in the usual status, relationship, or order of : disrupt

Synonyms

• budge
• displace
• disturb
• move
• relocate
• remove
• reposition
• shift
• transfer
• transpose

Examples of dislocate in a Sentence

She fell and dislocated her shoulder.

The new hotel will dislocate several businesses.

Thousands of workers have been dislocated by the latest economic crisis.

Recent Examples on the Web

After losing the game 110-102, Jazz personnel confirmed that Hendricks fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle, ESPN reported. —Danielle Jennings, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Houston Texans starting guard Kenyon Green, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, will reportedly be out for the season after dislocating his left shoulder in last night's match-up with the New York Jets. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Ohtani hasn’t looked right in the two games he’s played since partially dislocating his shoulder. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024

Sure enough, Buck immediately slips on pumpkin guts and falls hard on the floor, dislocating his shoulder. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin dislocatus, past participle of dislocare, from Latin dis- + locare to locate

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dislocate

verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt 

(ˈ)dis-ˈlō-

1

: to put out of place

especially : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone

2

: disrupt

Medical Definition

dislocate

transitive verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt  -lə-; (ˈ)dis-ˈlō-ˌkāt 

dislocated; dislocating

: to put (a body part) out of order by displacing a bone from its normal connections with another bone

he dislocated his shoulder

also : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone

the humerus was dislocated in the fall