clitoridectomy /klit′əridek″təmē/ , the ancient ritual excising of all or part of the clitoris, and sometimes part of the labia, usually prior to puberty. It is a form of female genital mutilation and is considered a violation of the human rights of girls and women all over the world. The World Health Organization has repeatedly spoken out against the practice, and many nations have enacted laws criminalizing the practice. A deliberately misleading euphemism is female circumcision. See also female genital mutilation.
