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

Riva was one of the few people who'd known Rosemary Kennedy, the eldest daughter of Joe Kennedy and his wife Rose Kennedy, before the disastrous 1941 lobotomy that left her with the mental capacity of a toddler. —Liz McNeil, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 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

Back in 1962, Lilly leaves Juniper Hill with a higher dose of medication, which seems like the best-case scenario given the threat of lobotomy in the show’s opening titles. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

lobe + -o- + -tomy

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lobotomy

• colostomy
• bonhomie
• naomi
• salome
• foamy
• homey
• komi
• loamy
• 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