pneumonectomy

noun

pneu·​mo·​nec·​to·​my ˌnü-mə-ˈnek-tə-mē How to pronounce pneumonectomy (audio)
ˌnyü-
plural pneumonectomies
: excision of an entire lung or of one or more lobes of a lung

Examples of pneumonectomy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to doctors interviewed by NBC News — including a thoracic surgeon, a pulmonologist and a primary care physician — detaining a patient so soon after a pneumonectomy raises serious alarms from a medical perspective. David Noriega, NBC news, 27 June 2025 Nogueira and her colleagues studied data available via the National Cancer Database for individuals 18 years or older who received a lobectomy or pneumonectomy for stages 1 to 3 lung cancer between 2004 and 2021. Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025 This is especially true when comparing lobectomy to pneumonectomy. Sanja Jelic, Verywell Health, 22 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Greek pneumōn + International Scientific Vocabulary -ectomy

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pneumonectomy was in 1890

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Cite this Entry

“Pneumonectomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pneumonectomy. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

pneumonectomy

noun
pneu·​mo·​nec·​to·​my ˌn(y)ü-mə-ˈnek-tə-mē How to pronounce pneumonectomy (audio)
plural pneumonectomies
: surgical excision of an entire lung or of one or more lobes of a lung

called also pneumectomy, pulmonectomy

compare segmental resection
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