1. Maiming, the act of removing or destroying a conspicuous or essential part or organ of a body.
2. The infliction of an injury upon a person that totally destroys or removes, or permanently and severely damages, an organ, limb, or other essential body part.

In forensic medicine, mutilation is most often inflicted upon the face and fingers of murder victims in order to render the body unidentifiable.

Mutilation also applies to injuries sustained by survivors of criminal violence.

3. The cutting off or otherwise depriving an animal of a limb or other essential part.

Farming procedures, classified as mutilations by animal welfare organizations, include tail-docking of cows and horses, ear-cropping in dogs, mulesing of sheep, debarking of dogs, debeaking of birds.

Mulesing of sheep refers to the removal of strips of skin from the perineal (genital) area of lambs so as to increase the area of woolless skin and provide a lower susceptibility to blowfly attacks.

1. A self-inflicted injury; especially, with a sharp object.
2. Destructive, disfiguring actions toward one's own body.

Self-mutilation is a general term for a variety of forms of intentional self-harm without the wish to die.

Cutting one's skin with razors or knives is the most common pattern of self-mutilation. Others include biting, hitting, or bruising oneself; picking or pulling at the skin or hair; burning oneself with lighted cigarettes, or amputating parts of the body.

Self-mutilation should not be confused with current fads for tattoos and body piercing. In some cases, however, it may be difficult to distinguish between an interest in these fads and the first indications of a disorder.

In general, young people who have learned to express themselves in words or through art and other creative activities are less likely to deal with painful feelings by injuring their bodies.