dislocation

UK: /ˌdɪsləˈkeɪʃ^ən/ US: /ˌdɪsloʊˈkeɪʃən/ ,(dis′lō kā′shən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dis•lo•ca•tion  (dis′lō kā′shən), n. 

1. Pathology an act or instance of dislocating.
2. Pathology the state of being dislocated.
3. Crystallography (in a crystal lattice) a line about which there is a discontinuity in the lattice structure. Cf. defect (def. 3).

• 1350–1400; Middle English dislocacioun; see dislocate, -ion

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

dislocation / ˌdɪsləˈkeɪʃən/ noun

1. the act of displacing or the state of being displaced; disruption
2. (esp of the bones in a joint) the state or condition of being dislocated
3. a less common word for fault6

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

dis•lo•cate /ˈdɪsloʊˌkeɪt, dɪsˈloʊkeɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -cat•ed, -cat•ing. 

1. Pathology to put out of joint or out of position:
   His shoulder was dislocated.
2. to throw out of order; upset:
   Frequent strikes dislocated the economy.

dis•lo•ca•tion /ˌdɪsloʊˈkeɪʃən/  n. [uncountable] See -loc-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dis•lo•cate  (dis′lō kāt′, dis lō′kāt), v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing n. 
v.t. 

1. to put out of place;
   put out of proper relative position;
   displace:
   The glacier dislocated great stones. The earthquake dislocated several buildings.
2. Pathology to put out of joint or out of position, as a limb or an organ.
3. to throw out of order;
   upset;
   disorder:
   Frequent strikes dislocated the economy.

n. 

4. Sport [Gymnastics.] a maneuver on the rings in which a gymnast in an inverted pike position turns over to swing down while pushing the arms out and turning them so that the palms are facing out when the body turns over.

• Medieval Latin dislocātus (past participle of dislocāre), equivalent. to Latin dis- dis-¹ + locātus placed; see locate
• 1595–1605