Delimb

Delimb is a verb in English with two principal senses. In forestry and logging, delimb means to remove branches and limbs from a tree, either while it is standing or after it has been felled. Delimbing is ordinarily performed with chain saws or dedicated delimber machinery, and it is typically followed by bucking, which cuts the trunk into sections for transport or processing.

In medical, legal, or fictional contexts, delimb can refer to the removal of limbs from a person or animal. This usage is uncommon in modern clinical language, where amputation or dismemberment are the standard terms. The word is more likely to appear in historical records, legal descriptions of punishments, or in graphic prose and media. As with many terms that describe dismemberment, its use can be graphic and sensitive.

The etymology is straightforward: it comes from the prefix de- meaning removal and limb, the latter referring to a limb of a body or a tree. In forestry discourse, the related noun delimbing and the equipment known as a delimber are common. The term is rarely used to describe everyday activities outside its specialized contexts.