sever-v; 2 Senses

Sense Number 1: to cut through or off;separate

Commentary: NP1 SEVER NP2[+part] (PP [+source]) may be ambiguous as to whether the severed object is completely removed

Examples:
The blow severed the tip of his thumb.
The propeller severed the muscles in my left leg in three places.
The roadway existed at the time the title was severed.
The settlements blocked the expansion of the city and severed it from the rural villages in the area.

Mappings:
VerbNet: separate-23.1,remove-10.1
FrameNet: NP
PropBank: sever.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2

Sense Number 2: discontinue

Commentary: NP1 SEVER NP2[+object--broken entity]

Examples:
The Court severed the provisions in the United States Code concerning the Guidelines' mandatory nature.
Tom Paine's Common Sense (1776) severed the link tying the colonists to the crown.
It effectively severed the joint tenancy between them.
They studied 45 mother-child pairs in which mothers had severed their relationship with the abusers.

Mappings:
VerbNet: separate-23.1
FrameNet: NP
PropBank: sever.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1