surgery

noun

sur·​gery ˈsərj-rē How to pronounce surgery (audio)
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

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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surgery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of surgery was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near surgery

Cite this Entry

“Surgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgery. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

surgery

noun
sur·​gery ˈsərj-(ə-)rē How to pronounce surgery (audio)
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
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 How to pronounce surgery (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on surgery

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