bilateral amputee

Meaning

1. 1nouncountablemedical

   A person who has lost both arms, both legs, or both of another pair of limbs.

   Grammar: Countable; 'bilateral' describes which limbs are affected, and 'amputee' is the person.

   Patterns

   • a bilateral amputee
   • become a bilateral amputee
   • a bilateral amputee of the legs

   After the accident he became a bilateral amputee and now uses two prosthetic legs.

   The clinic offers special training for bilateral amputees who want to walk again.

   She is a bilateral amputee, having lost both hands to a severe infection.

Word forms

Common combinations

a bilateral amputee of the legs

He is a bilateral amputee of the legs and uses a wheelchair.

a bilateral lower-limb amputee

The runner is a bilateral lower-limb amputee with two artificial legs.

a bilateral upper-limb amputee

A bilateral upper-limb amputee may need help with buttons and zips.

become a bilateral amputee

He became a bilateral amputee after the infection spread.

Synonyms and how they differ

double amputee

More common in everyday speech; it means the same but does not say which two limbs are involved.

bilateral limb loss

A medical phrase for the condition itself rather than for the person.

Word family

amputee noun

A person who has had an arm or leg removed.

bilateral adjective

Involving both sides of the body or two matching parts.

amputation noun

The medical operation of removing a limb.

amputate verb

To remove a limb by surgery.

Commonly confused: bilateral amputee or bilateral amputation?

Practice

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