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hysterectomy

American  
[his-tuh-rek-tuh-mee] / ˌhɪs təˈrɛk tə mi /

noun

Surgery.

plural

hysterectomies
  1. excision of the uterus.


hysterectomy British  
/ ˌhɪstəˈrɛktəmɪ /

noun

  1. surgical removal of the uterus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hysterectomy Scientific  
/ hĭs′tə-rĕktə-mē /
  1. Surgical removal of part or all of the uterus.


hysterectomy Cultural  
  1. The surgical removal of all or part of the uterus.


Etymology

Origin of hysterectomy

First recorded in 1885–90; hyster- + -ectomy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She wanted a hysterectomy but after a number of appointments and delays in the NHS, she was only offered physiotherapy and drug treatment.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Frozen shoulder was how I discovered I was in perimenopause because I was not told by my doctor who performed my hysterectomy that this could happen.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

Lee’s mom sewed children’s clothes at a textile plant before dying of complications from a hysterectomy at 35 when Lee was 16.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

A hysterectomy will remove symptoms of adenomyosis, though it is not a cure for endometriosis.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025

She had given birth to three children by the time she was eighteen, before her parents arranged for a hysterectomy.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes