noun

surgery

SUR-juh-ree/ˈsɜːrdʒəri/

Medical treatment through operations on the body.

The team performs surgery with sterile instruments while monitoring the patient.

In an operating room, masked surgeons use sterile instruments on a patient’s body while medical staff monitor the operation.

Etymology

The underlying image is work done by hand, applied specifically to healing. Surgery names that operative treatment of the body, historically including cutting operations and setting fractures.

In context

TED5:31

and have a surgery where it was a tube going into my artery,

How I held my breath for 17 minutes | David Blaine | TED

TED-Ed1:25

This early surgery involved drilling a hole in the skull to let blood escape

What causes seizures, and how can we treat them? - Christopher E. Gaw

More examples

The doctor discussed whether surgery was necessary.
He underwent two surgeries that year.
The hospital expanded its surgery department.

Forms

surgery · surgeries

surgical adjective — Relating to operations on the body.

Similar words

operation: One particular surgical procedure.
treatment: The broader category of care intended to address illness or injury.