biopsy

noun

bi·​op·​sy ˈbī-ˌäp-sē 

plural biopsies

: the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body

biopsy transitive verb

Did you know?

Matter examined in a biopsy is always taken from a living organism. Most biopsies are done by using a needle to extract tissue or fluid, but some may instead require cutting, and others may amount to nothing more than swabbing the inside of the patient's cheek. Biopsies are best known as a means of detecting cancer, but a doctor may also take a biopsy of heart muscle to investigate suspected heart disease, for example, or perform a biopsy on a pregnant woman to test for disorders in the fetus.

Examples of biopsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow announced his recent biopsy came back positive for cancer. —Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 10 Nov. 2025

How does a liquid biopsy detect cancer? —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025

The majority of it was removed successfully and the mass was sent off for a biopsy. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025

After a series of tests, including an MRI, a PET scan, and a biopsy, the actress was diagnosed with stage 2 colorectal cancer. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary bi- entry 2 + -opsy (as in autopsy)

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

biopsy

noun

bi·​op·​sy ˈbī-ˌäp-sē 

plural biopsies

: the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body

Medical Definition

biopsy

1 of 2 noun

bi·​op·​sy ˈbī-ˌäp-sē 

plural biopsies

: the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body

biopsy

2 of 2 transitive verb

biopsied; biopsying

: to perform a biopsy on

the intestinal polyps were removed and biopsied