verb
operate
To perform surgery.
The surgeon operates on patients with serious heart conditions.
Etymology
Latin operari means to work. Medicine specialized the general action of working to the surgeon’s direct treatment of the body.
More examples
- Doctors must operate immediately to stop the bleeding.
- The surgeon operated on my knee last month.
- The team is operating to remove the tumor.
Forms
operate · operates · operated · operating
operation noun — A surgical procedure on the body.
Similar words
- perform surgery
- Names the same action explicitly, without operate's other possible meanings.
- treat
- Covers medical care generally, not just performing surgical procedures.