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

Tatum spends most of the weekend under the dark cloud of her pending biopsy results, which ultimately deliver a different prognosis than in the book. — Max Gao, Variety, 11 July 2026

Maybe there will be liquid biopsies (specialized blood tests) or even cheek swabs that can detect breast cancer. — Tara Thomas, Glamour, 10 July 2026

In November of last year, Graf and her husband traveled to Northwestern for a biopsy to see if her cancer had spread outside her lungs. — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026

Ferritin levels like Johnson’s are often an early sign, but a definitive diagnosis requires an upper endoscopy with biopsies. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 8 July 2026

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