lobotomy
noun
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Definition of lobotomy
: 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
Displayed nearby are gleaming medical picks that belonged to Dr. Walter J. Freeman, a physician who specialized in lobotomies and botched the procedure on Rosemary Kennedy, the sister of President John F. Kennedy. — Washington Post, "Psychology museum explores what makes us human," 7 July 2018 Rosemary had been an active member of the Kennedy family until her father agreed to a lobotomy for Rosemary in 1941. — Alice George, Smithsonian, "For 50 Years, the Special Olympics Has Given Marginalized Superstars Center Stage," 10 July 2018 Displayed nearby are gleaming medical picks that belonged to Dr. Walter J. Freeman, a physician who specialized in lobotomies and botched the procedure on Rosemary Kennedy, the sister of President John F. Kennedy. — Washington Post, "Psychology museum explores what makes us human," 7 July 2018 Displayed nearby are gleaming medical picks that belonged to Dr. Walter J. Freeman, a physician who specialized in lobotomies and botched the procedure on Rosemary Kennedy, the sister of President John F. Kennedy. — Mitch Stacy, chicagotribune.com, "Psychology museum explores what makes us human," 10 July 2018 According to her Lahey doctors, the lobotomy was a success. — Jim Carrier, STAT, "Lobotomies were once used to treat this gut disease, part of a shameful medical history," 12 June 2018 Citing the growing literature on psychogenesis, a neurosurgeon suggested a lobotomy. — Jim Carrier, STAT, "Lobotomies were once used to treat this gut disease, part of a shameful medical history," 12 June 2018 Yet what Trump either doesn’t know or refuses to acknowledge is that a reported 50,000 people received lobotomies from 1949 to 1952. — Danielle Campoamor, Teen Vogue, "Donald Trump Is Devastating Our Mental Health With His Policies and Rhetoric," 12 June 2018 Violet has summoned a psychiatrist, expecting him to OK the lobotomy in exchange for her promise to subsidize his work. — Tony Adler, Chicago Reader, "Raven Theatre can’t deliver on Suddenly Last Summer’s mythic, monstrous potential," 16 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lobotomy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for lobotomy
lobotomy
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lobotomy
medical : an operation in which part of the brain is cut in order to treat some mental disorders
See the full definition for lobotomy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lobotomy
noun
\
Medical Definition of lobotomy
: 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
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