Lacerate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lacerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Lacerating ().]
Etymology: [L. laceratus, p. p. of lacerare to lacerate, fr. lacer mangled, lacerated; cf. Gr. slay.]
To tear; to rend; to separate by tearing; to mangle; as, to lacerate the flesh. Hence: To afflict; to torture; as, to lacerate the heart.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Lacerate, Lacerated, p. a.
1. Rent; torn; mangled; as, a lacerated wound. By each other's fury lacerate Southey.
2. (Bot. & Zoöl.)
Jagged, or slashed irregularly, at the end, or along the edge.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for lacerate; he lists it under rend.
Where he writes about it:
To lacerate is to tear roughly the flesh or animal tissue, as by the teeth of a wild beast; a lacerated wound is distinguished from a wound made by a clean cut or incision. — from rend
Mangle is a stronger word than lacerate; lacerate is more superficial, mangle more complete. — from rend