lobotomy

noun

lo·​bot·​o·​my lō-ˈbä-tə-mē 

plural lobotomies

: surgical severance of nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus that has been performed especially formerly chiefly to treat mental illness

Examples of lobotomy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 1940s, lobotomies were all the rage. — Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026

Paranormal fans are also drawn by the history of a former mental institution that once performed lobotomies. — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

Moniz later used a technique that severed neurons and led to the prefrontal lobotomy techniques of the1940s. — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025

There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

lobe + -o- + -tomy

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lobotomy

• colostomy
• foamy
• homey
• komi
• loamy
• naomi
• salome
• osteotomy
• potawatomi
• tracheostomy

Medical Definition

lobotomy

noun

lo·​bot·​o·​my lō-ˈbät-ə-mē 

plural lobotomies

: surgical severance of nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus that has been performed especially formerly chiefly to treat mental illness

called also leukotomy

compare lobectomy