What does evulse mean?
Evulse is a formal and relatively uncommon verb meaning to pull or extract something forcibly from its position. Its best-established use is in medicine and dentistry: a dentist may evulse a tooth that is badly decayed, fractured, or firmly embedded, while a surgeon may use the verb for an object lodged in tissue. In general contexts, it can suggest uprooting or forcibly removing something that is difficult to dislodge. The word has a technical, deliberately precise tone and is not normally used for ordinary, gentle removal. Although it belongs to the familiar extract-and-remove family of meanings, evulse is useful when the force of the removal matters. Its Latin ancestry is also reflected in related English forms such as avulse, convulse, and evulsion.
verbTo pull or extract something forcibly from its position, especially a tooth or another object firmly lodged in tissue.
- To pull or extract forcibly, especially a tooth or another object firmly lodged in tissue.
"The dentist evulsed the damaged molar."
"The dentist evulsed the damaged molar."
"The surgeon was able to evulse the foreign object without damaging the surrounding tissue."
Evulse is the forceful way to say “pull out,” especially when a tooth or other object has to be removed from a firm hold.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does evulse come from?
Evulse comes from Latin evulsus, the past participle of evellere, meaning "to pull out" or "tear out." The Latin verb was formed from ex-, meaning "out," and vellere, meaning "to pull, pluck, or tear." English borrowed the term in the early 17th century, and it later became especially associated with the forced extraction of teeth. Related forms include avulse, from avellere, and convulse, from convellere.
Related word forms
How evulse is actually used
Evulse is formal and relatively uncommon. It occurs chiefly in medical, dental, and technical contexts and is more forceful than the general verb "extract."