amniocentesis
noun
am·nio·cen·te·sis
ˌam-nē-ō-(ˌ)sen-ˈtē-səs 
plural amniocenteses
ˌam-nē-ō-(ˌ)sen-ˈtē-ˌsēz
: the surgical insertion of a hollow needle through the abdominal wall and into the uterus to obtain amniotic fluid especially for the determination of fetal sex or chromosomal abnormality
Examples of amniocentesis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Izabela never had amniocentesis to confirm a diagnosis.
—
TIME, 13 Oct. 2023
The pregnancies of carrier couples could be monitored by amniocentesis and terminated if the fetus was affected.
—Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2012
These might include chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, which screen the baby for congenital disorders.
—Tricia O'Brien, Parents, 11 July 2023
But follow-up diagnostic tests, like amniocentesis and CVS, are generally done between the 15th and 20th week of pregnancy.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 10 Aug. 2023
With amniocentesis, a needle is inserted through the abdomen into the uterus to sample amniotic fluid.
—Alex Hazlett, Parents, 14 Aug. 2023
The procedure, whose full name is amniocentesis, involves taking a sample of a pregnant woman’s amniotic fluid to diagnose genetic disorders.
—Sam Corbin, New York Times, 11 June 2023
While negotiating to ensure coverage by most major private insurance programs, the reimbursement for the test is expected to be similar to that of current invasive procedures like amniocentesis or CVS.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2011
Logan’s only daughter is 20 weeks pregnant, and her amniocentesis test has revealed a perfectly healthy baby.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 17 Apr. 2023
TIME, 13 Oct. 2023
The pregnancies of carrier couples could be monitored by amniocentesis and terminated if the fetus was affected.
—Jeff Wheelwright, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2012
These might include chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, which screen the baby for congenital disorders.
—Tricia O'Brien, Parents, 11 July 2023
But follow-up diagnostic tests, like amniocentesis and CVS, are generally done between the 15th and 20th week of pregnancy.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 10 Aug. 2023
With amniocentesis, a needle is inserted through the abdomen into the uterus to sample amniotic fluid.
—Alex Hazlett, Parents, 14 Aug. 2023
The procedure, whose full name is amniocentesis, involves taking a sample of a pregnant woman’s amniotic fluid to diagnose genetic disorders.
—Sam Corbin, New York Times, 11 June 2023
While negotiating to ensure coverage by most major private insurance programs, the reimbursement for the test is expected to be similar to that of current invasive procedures like amniocentesis or CVS.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2011
Logan’s only daughter is 20 weeks pregnant, and her amniocentesis test has revealed a perfectly healthy baby.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 17 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amniocentesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Amniocentesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amniocentesis. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
amniocentesis
noun
am·nio·cen·te·sis
ˌam-nē-ō-(ˌ)sen-ˈtē-səs
plural amniocenteses
-ˈtē-ˌsēz
: the procedure of inserting a hollow needle through the wall of the abdomen and into the uterus of a pregnant female to withdraw a sample of the fluid surrounding the fetus that is used to find out its sex and especially to check for abnormal chromosomes which may predict a birth defect
Medical Definition
amniocentesis
noun
am·nio·cen·te·sis
ˌam-nē-ō-(ˌ)sen-ˈtē-səs
plural amniocenteses
-ˌsēz
: the surgical insertion of a hollow needle through the abdominal wall and into the uterus of a pregnant female to obtain amniotic fluid especially to examine the fetal chromosomes for an abnormality and for the determination of sex
More from Merriam-Webster on amniocentesis
Britannica English: Translation of amniocentesis for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about amniocentesis
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