appendectomy

noun

ap·​pen·​dec·​to·​my ˌa-pən-ˈdek-tə-mē How to pronounce appendectomy (audio)
ˌa-ˌpen-
plural appendectomies
: surgical removal of the vermiform appendix

Did you know?

The appendix is a tiny tube attached to the large intestine that no longer has any real function. Appendicitis—inflammation and swelling of the appendix, usually as a result of bacterial infection—generally occurs between the ages of 10 and 19, and is the most common reason for emergency surgery in the U.S. today. Since the appendix has so little to do, appendectomies normally have no negative aftereffects at all. If appendicitis is ignored, bacteria may enter the blood and infect other parts of the body.

Examples of appendectomy in a Sentence

The surgeon performed an appendectomy on her.
Recent Examples on the Web After diagnosing her with appendicitis, the doctor hastily performed an appendectomy on the young girl before her anesthesia set in. Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Following Vanderbilt’s death, after an appendectomy, at the age of fifty-one, much of Biltmore was sold to the United States to create Pisgah National Forest, one of the first national parks east of the Mississippi; about fifteen hundred acres were sold off to create Biltmore Forest. Jessica Pishko, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2024 The research found an appendectomy in the same hospital can cost as much as 32 times on the upper end what that facility’s lowest cost is for the service; cataract surgery can cost nine times and cesareans eight times the lowest cost at the same facility. Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2024 The Ducks will also be without one of their mainstays, goaltender John Gibson, whose recent appendectomy will keep him off the ice for the next three to six weeks. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for appendectomy 

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

Latin appendic-, appendix + English -ectomy

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of appendectomy was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near appendectomy

Cite this Entry

“Appendectomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appendectomy. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

appendectomy

noun
ap·​pen·​dec·​to·​my ˌap-ən-ˈdek-tə-mē How to pronounce appendectomy (audio)
ˌap-ˌen-
plural appendectomies
: surgical removal of the human appendix

Medical Definition

appendectomy

noun
ap·​pen·​dec·​to·​my ˌap-ən-ˈdek-tə-mē How to pronounce appendectomy (audio)
plural appendectomies
: surgical removal of the vermiform appendix

More from Merriam-Webster on appendectomy

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