variants
or D and C
plural D&Cs or D and Cs
: a medical procedure in which the uterine cervix is dilated and a curette is inserted into the uterus to scrape away the endometrium (as for the diagnosis or treatment of abnormal bleeding or for surgical abortion during the early part of the second trimester of pregnancy) : dilation and curettage
1
[Italian da capo]
from the beginning
2
decimal classification
3
direct current
4
District of Columbia
5
doctor of chiropractic
6
double crochet
Examples of D&C in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2025
Doctors had five opportunities to counsel De Pablos Velez about her options and offer her a D&C, said Dr. Jodi Abbott, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine, who reviewed case records.
—Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 2 July 2025
The most effective way to prevent severe blood loss during miscarriages, experts said, is a D&C, which uses suction to remove remaining tissue, allowing the uterus to close.
—Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 1 July 2025
Getting slowly impatient, mind you, because the D&C arsonist has apparently already set 200+ fires and irritation is only beginning to set in.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
Others choose to undergo a surgical procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C), during which you’ll be sedated and a surgeon removes the fetal tissue.
—Lisa McCarty, SELF, 21 May 2025
Childbirth, prior uterine surgeries, such as a uterine fibroid removal or a dilation and curettage (D&C), and a history of endometriosis are also risk factors, according to Cleveland Clinic.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
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Noun
But Kash began to suspect that, because Texas had banned virtually all abortions in 2022, following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, either the equipment to perform the D&C was not ready, or the hospital was struggling to justify performing one, even for a placenta.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2025
Doctors had five opportunities to counsel De Pablos Velez about her options and offer her a D&C, said Dr. Jodi Abbott, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine, who reviewed case records.
—Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 2 July 2025
The most effective way to prevent severe blood loss during miscarriages, experts said, is a D&C, which uses suction to remove remaining tissue, allowing the uterus to close.
—Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 1 July 2025
Getting slowly impatient, mind you, because the D&C arsonist has apparently already set 200+ fires and irritation is only beginning to set in.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
Others choose to undergo a surgical procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C), during which you’ll be sedated and a surgeon removes the fetal tissue.
—Lisa McCarty, SELF, 21 May 2025
Childbirth, prior uterine surgeries, such as a uterine fibroid removal or a dilation and curettage (D&C), and a history of endometriosis are also risk factors, according to Cleveland Clinic.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“D&C.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/D%26C. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
D&C
1 of 2 noun
variants
or D and C
: a medical procedure in which the uterine cervix is dilated and a curette is inserted into the uterus to scrape away the endometrium (as for the diagnosis or treatment of abnormal bleeding or for surgical abortion during the early part of the second trimester of pregnancy) : dilation and curettage
DC
2 of 2 abbreviation1
Dental Corps
2
diagnostic center
3
direct current
4
doctor of chiropractic
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