lobotomy

noun

lo·bot·o·my | \ lō-ˈbä-tə-mē

plural lobotomies

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

One crew member immediately runs afoul of a viral shaming campaign, for which the penalty of not getting enough upvotes is a lobotomy. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "The Orville blends science fiction and science fact into a winning mix," 29 Dec. 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. — 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. — 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

These 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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Last Updated

5 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for lobotomy

The first known use of lobotomy was in 1936

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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

lo·bot·o·my | \ lō-ˈbät-ə-mē

plural lobotomies

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

— compare lobectomy