surgical

adjective

sur·​gi·​cal ˈsər-ji-kəl How to pronounce surgical (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to surgeons or surgery
surgical skills
b
: used in or in connection with surgery
surgical gauze
c
: following or resulting from surgery
surgical fevers
2
: characteristic of or resembling surgery or a surgeon especially in control or incisiveness
surgical precision
surgically adverb

Examples of surgical in a Sentence

The work was done with surgical precision.
Recent Examples on the Web There was a Keith Sonnier sculpture incorporating a vinyl bag that inflated and deflated as if breathing, and an Eva Hesse piece made of two phallic forms wrapped in cord and connected with a length of surgical hose, resembling a jump-rope with giant sausages for handles. Kate Guadagnino, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023 Mayden seemed surgical in a tight passing-game plan from offensive coordinator Ryan Lindley — dink, dunk, screen, patiently wait for deeper holes in the defense — but coughed up two massive fumbles Friday in a 34-31 loss to Boise State at Snapdragon Stadium. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2023 Hospitals and clinics would be deprived of a range or workers represented by multiple unions, including medical assistants, phlebotomists, information technology workers, surgical technicians, lab technicians, pharmacy clerks, social workers, food service workers and housekeepers. Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023 Once implanted via surgical robot using ultra-fine, flexible wiring, the preliminary BCI device reportedly will wirelessly transmit data to an external computer to decode patients’ movement intentions. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Sep. 2023 Wired notes a December 2019 experiment outlined in one of the documents saying one monkey had to be euthanized after a piece of Neuralink’s brain implant broke off during the surgical process, leading to infection. Emma Roth, The Verge, 20 Sep. 2023 Having more than two cesareans may be riskier than attempting a VBAC, as the chance of surgical complications increases with the number of C-sections a person has. Lisa Milbrand, Parents, 20 Sep. 2023 Synchron inserts its device via a surgical incision in the base of the neck and then maneuvers the implant to its destination in the brain. Sarah McBride, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2023 Hendry had to write a letter to the University of North Carolina Health surgical team verifying that Henson met the criteria for a gender dysphoria diagnosis and that a total hysterectomy would improve his quality of life. Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 14 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surgical.' 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

surgeon + -ical

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of surgical was in 1707

Dictionary Entries Near surgical

Cite this Entry

“Surgical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgical. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

surgical

adjective
sur·​gi·​cal ˈsər-ji-kəl How to pronounce surgical (audio)
: of, relating to, or associated with surgeons or surgery
surgical skills
surgical equipment
a surgical fever
surgically adverb

Medical Definition

surgical

adjective
sur·​gi·​cal ˈsər-ji-kəl How to pronounce surgical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or concerned with surgeons or surgery
surgical skill
2
: requiring surgical treatment
a surgical appendix
3
: used in or in connection with surgery
surgical gauze
4
: following or resulting from surgery
surgical fevers

More from Merriam-Webster on surgical

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