This rare term appears only in Jeremiah's oracle against Moab, describing ritual self-mutilation as a sign of grief. The Hebrew root relates to cutting or incising, and the context at Jeremiah 48:37 places it alongside shaved heads and clipped beards—all forbidden mourning practices in Israel but common among surrounding nations. The English 'gashes' and Spanish 'cortaduras' capture the visceral physicality of this ancient grief expression.