lobotomy
noun
lo·bot·o·my
lō-ˈbä-tə-mē 
plural lobotomies
: surgical severance of nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus that has been performed especially formerly chiefly to treat mental illness
Examples of lobotomy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy.
—
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Transorbital lobotomies, which used a tool inserted into the back of the eye socket, were conducted on about 60,000 people across the U.S. between 1936 and 1956 alone.
—Frieda Klotz, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
Kimberly nearly gives another character a lobotomy, kidnaps a baby, and plants a set of explosives around the titular apartment complex, which all land her in an institution and under the care of Dr. Burns.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Sheehan exchanges a glance with Cawley, who presumably orders Andrew to be taken away for a lobotomy.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lobotomy
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Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Transorbital lobotomies, which used a tool inserted into the back of the eye socket, were conducted on about 60,000 people across the U.S. between 1936 and 1956 alone.
—Frieda Klotz, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
Kimberly nearly gives another character a lobotomy, kidnaps a baby, and plants a set of explosives around the titular apartment complex, which all land her in an institution and under the care of Dr. Burns.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Sheehan exchanges a glance with Cawley, who presumably orders Andrew to be taken away for a lobotomy.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lobotomy
Cite this Entry
“Lobotomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lobotomy. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
lobotomy
noun
lo·bot·o·my
lō-ˈbät-ə-mē
plural lobotomies
: surgical severance of nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus that has been performed especially formerly chiefly to treat mental illness
called also leukotomy
compare lobectomyLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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