cordotomy

or chor·dot·o·my

[ kawr-dot-uh-mee ]

noun

, plural cor·dot·o·mies.

1. the surgical severance of certain nerve fibers of the spinal cord to alleviate intractable pain.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cordotomy¹

cord + -o- + -tomy

Example Sentences

One of the commonest, for pain anywhere below the neck, is cordotomy�literally, cutting the spinal cord�a remedy that is less drastic than it sounds.

From Time Magazine Archive