-ectomy

1. a combining form meaning “excision” of the part specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words:

   tonsillectomy.

-ectomy

combining form

1. indicating surgical excision of a part

   appendectomy

Word History and Origins

Origin of -ectomy¹

< New Latin -ectomia. See ec-, -tomy

Word History and Origins

Origin of -ectomy¹

from New Latin -ectomia, from Greek ek- out + -tomy

Example Sentences

When you go to the doctor for a routine blood test or to have a mole removed, when you have an appendectomy, tonsillectomy, or any other kind of ectomy, the stuff you leave behind doesn’t always get thrown out.

From Literature

In 2004, when Ashley was six, her parents initiated a three-year medical course to halt her growth, including a hyster- ectomy and the surgical removal of her breast buds.

From The Guardian

Words That Use -Ectomy

What does -ectomy mean?

The combining form -ectomy is used like a suffix meaning “excision,” or “surgical removal.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in surgery.

The form -ectomy ultimately comes from the Greek ektomē, meaning “excision.” It is equivalent to the combination of ec- (from the Greek ek, “out”) and -tomy  from the Greek tomḗ, “a cutting”. So, -ectomy has a literal sense of “a cutting out of”—that is, “an excision.”

Related to -ectomy and -tomy are the combining forms -tome, -tomous, and tomo-.

Examples of -ectomy

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -ectomy is vasectomy, “excision of the vas deferens or of a portion of it.” This operation is performed to make men sterile, as the vas deferens is the duct that transports sperm to the penis.

The first part of the word, vas-, represents the vas deferens. The form -ectomy means “excision.” Vasectomy literally means “excision of the vas deferens.”

What are some words that use the combining form -ectomy?

• adenectomy
• appendectomy
• cardiectomy
• cecectomy
• chondrectomy
• craniectomy
• cystectomy
• diverticulectomy
• embryectomy
• enterectomy
• hysterectomy
• lipectomy
• lithectomy
• myectomy
• lumpectomy
• mammectomy
• mastectomy
• orchidectomy
• phallectomy
• pleurectomy
• proctectomy
• testectomy
• tonsillectomy
• tylectomy
• vertebrectomy

What are some other forms that -ectomy may be commonly confused with?

• -stome
• -stomy
• -stomous

Break it down!

Based on the meaning of -ectomy, what is a tonsillectomy?