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Glite Dictionary
ovariectomy

ovariectomy

7.9
Surgery to remove one or both female organs that make eggs
  • noun
  • /ˌoʊvəˈrɪɛktəmi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ovariectomía
  • After undergoing an ovariectomy, she experienced significant changes in her hormone levels.

Examples

  • (n66) The parents of a 14-year-old mentally handicapped girl who resided in the Northern Territory applied to the Family Court for an order authorizing performance of a hysterectomy and an ovariectomy.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The doctor explained the need for an ovariectomy due to the severe cysts on both ovaries.

  • The patient was nervous about the ovariectomy, but the surgeon assured her it was a routine procedure.

Synonyms

oophorectomy
vsovariectomy
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An operation that removes one or both ovaries, the female organs that make eggs

is an alternative name for the same surgical operation

How Extensive

ovariectomy
  • Specialized
7.9
ovariotomy
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

ovariectomy singular
ovariectomies plural

Morphology

ovariectomy = ovary (semi-transparent) = ovary + ectomy

The meaning is straightforward if one knows the medical suffix '-ectomy', but that suffix is specialized and not likely to be fully transparent for an average learner.

Etymology

The word ovariectomy comes from ovary, the organ that makes 'eggs', and the ending -ectomy, from a Greek word meaning 'cutting out'. Like in appendectomy, it means 'surgical removal', so an ovariectomy is the surgery to remove one or both ovaries.