surgery

noun

sur·​gery ˈsərj-rē 

ˈsər-jə-

plural surgeries

1

: a branch of medicine concerned with diseases and conditions requiring or amenable to operative or manual procedures

2

: alterations made as if by surgery

literary surgery

3

a

British : a physician's or dentist's office

b

: a room or area where surgery is performed

4

a

: the work done by a surgeon

b

: operation

Examples of surgery in a Sentence

He's a specialist in brain surgery.

The doctor has recommended surgery.

He has recently undergone surgery on his shoulder.

a doctor who has performed many surgeries

The patient was taken directly to surgery.

Recent Examples on the Web

This required immediate surgery and months of radical chemotherapy, which meant seven bags of toxins were forced into her body for seven hours a day. —Craig Seymour, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2023

Continuing to lift weights when your shoulder is aching can lead to strains or tears in your rotator cuff, which may even require surgery, as SELF previously reported. —Jenny McCoy, SELF, 5 Dec. 2023

Outpatient surgery, medical imaging and space for endoscopy procedures will also be included in the 250,000-square-foot structure. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2023

Rui Hachimura was available to play but did not because the Lakers were being cautious with the forward after his recent nasal surgery. —Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023

My scars cover my entire torso, tripling after multiple surgeries, including reconstruction, reduction, and correction. —Jillian Kramer, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2023

In contrast, Germany, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirate are top of people’s lists for orthopedic surgeries. —Nicole F. Roberts, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

While symptoms can vary depending on the area of the body that is affected, the medical center advises that its treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. —Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023

Robots can perform surgery, shampoo someone’s hair, read a mammogram and, of course, drive a car. —Susan Pinker, WSJ, 22 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English surgerie, from Anglo-French cirurgerie, surgerie, from Latin chirurgia, from Greek cheirourgia, from cheirourgos surgeon, from cheirourgos doing by hand, from cheir hand + ergon work — more at chir-, work

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing surgery

• exploratory surgery
• cosmetic surgery
• gender reassignment surgery
• gender-confirming surgery
• gender confirmation surgery
• gender-affirming surgery
• gender affirmation surgery
• top surgery
• sex change surgery
• tree surgery
• in surgery
• plastic surgery
• Tommy John surgery
• reconstructive surgery
• bottom surgery
• pre-surgery

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• exploratory surgery
• cosmetic surgery
• gender reassignment surgery
• gender-confirming surgery
• gender confirmation surgery
• gender-affirming surgery
• gender affirmation surgery
• top surgery
• sex change surgery
• tree surgery
• in surgery
• plastic surgery
• Tommy John surgery
• reconstructive surgery
• bottom surgery
• pre-surgery

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Kids Definition

surgery

noun

sur·​gery ˈsərj-(ə-)rē 

plural surgeries

1

: medical science concerned with the correction of physical defects, the repair and healing of injuries, and the treatment of diseased conditions especially by operations

2

a

: the work done by a surgeon

b

: operation sense 3

3

: a room or area where surgery is performed

Etymology

Middle English surgerie "surgery," from early French cirurgerie, surgerie (same meaning), from Latin chirurgia (same meaning), derived from Greek cheirourgos "surgeon," from cheirourgos "doing by hand," from cheir "hand" and ergon "work"

Medical Definition

surgery

noun

sur·​gery ˈsərj-(ə-)rē 

plural surgeries

1

: a branch of medicine concerned with diseases and conditions requiring or amenable to operative or manual procedures

2

a

British : a physician's or dentist's office

b

: a room or area where surgery is performed

3

a

: the work done by a surgeon

b

: operation