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phantom limb
noun
: an often painful sensation of the presence of a limb that has been amputated
called also phantom pain
Examples of phantom limb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In other words, a person’s prosthetic limb could potentially be brought into close alignment with their phantom limb.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
The movements of his prostheses and his phantom limbs are out of synch.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
How much could the animal sense its phantom limb or prosthesis?
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
It is now recognized as a chronic disease in which repeated acute pain events transform the nervous system in ways that echo other conditions such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and phantom limb pain.
—Emily Sohn, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1871, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near phantom limb
Cite this Entry
“Phantom limb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phantom%20limb. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Medical Definition
phantom limb
noun
: an often painful sensation of the presence of a limb that has been amputated
called also phantom pain, phantom sensations
More from Merriam-Webster on phantom limb
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phantom limb
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