ostomy

noun

os·​to·​my ˈä-stə-mē How to pronounce ostomy (audio)
plural ostomies
: an operation (such as a colostomy) to create an artificial passage for bodily elimination

Examples of ostomy 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.
After the surgery, an ostomy nurse will be assigned to teach you how to care for your stoma and change your urostomy bag or catheter. Jamin Brahmbhatt, Verywell Health, 12 Feb. 2025 The original plan was getting an ostomy bag, chemo to shrink the tumors and then going back in to reverse the ostomy. Shannin Desroches, People.com, 20 Feb. 2025 Apply a thick ring of ostomy paste around the seal of two-piece systems. Jamin Brahmbhatt, Verywell Health, 12 Feb. 2025 She was fitted with a stoma in her stomach, which provides an external way for waste to leave the body, where it’s collected in an ostomy bag. Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025 The organization also supports and educates people contemplating ostomy surgery or living with an ostomy. Gaylyn Henderson, Mph, Health, 2 Jan. 2025 That kind of inspired the first two pieces — a compression glove for myself and an ostomy bag for her. Angela Andaloro, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024 For those who need a procedure such as placement of an ostomy bag, that awareness can be even more acute, says Gaylyn Henderson, 40, of Atlanta. Elizabeth Millard, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024 Hot off her third, and ultimate, overdose, she was laid up in a nursing home in theoretical recovery with her brand new ostomy bag. Brie Schwartz, Glamour, 23 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

colostomy

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ostomy was in 1957

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ostomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostomy. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

ostomy

noun
os·​to·​my ˈäs-tə-mē How to pronounce ostomy (audio)
plural ostomies
: an operation (as a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy) to create an artificial passage for bodily elimination

More from Merriam-Webster on ostomy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!