otoplasty
1
9.9
Surgery to change the shape, position, or size of the outer ear
- noun
- /ˌoʊtəˈplæsti/
- Specialized
:
otoplastia
- Figure 11: A photograph shows the appearance of the auricle in a 6-year-old boy with a congenital malformation prior to otoplasty.
Examples
-
After careful consideration, he decided to proceed with an otoplasty to enhance his appearance.
-
The doctor explained that an otoplasty would help reshape her protruding ears.
-
Many teenagers choose to undergo otoplasty to correct the shape of their ears before prom.
Surface Forms
otoplasty singular
otoplasties plural
Morphology
otoplasty = oto + plasty
The term is built from classical combining forms meaning 'ear' and 'surgical shaping,' but the medical procedure sense is not readily recoverable for an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Otoplasty comes from the Greek parts oto- 'ear' and -plasty 'to shape', so it literally means surgery to shape or change the outer ear.