biopsy
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
IPA: //ˈbaɪ.ɒp.si//
KK: /ˈbaɪɒpsi/
noun
Definition
A medical procedure where a small piece of tissue is taken from the body to be examined for signs of disease.
Example
The doctor recommended a biopsy to check for any abnormalities in the tissue.
Conversation
I heard you had to get a biopsy last week.
Yeah, it was a bit nerve-wracking to be honest.
I can imagine! What did the doctor say afterwards?
He said the results would take some time, but it was necessary to do the biopsy.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
examination
sampling
analysis
Antonyms
treatment
cure
healing
transitive verb
Definition
To take a small piece of tissue from a living body to examine it for medical reasons.
Example
The doctor decided to biopsy the suspicious growth on the patient's skin.
Tense Forms
Past: biopsied
Past Participle: biopsied
Conversation
I heard you had to get a biopsy last week, how did it go?
It was a bit nerve-wracking, but the doctor was really nice about it.
Did they say how long it would take to get the results from the biopsy?
Root Explanation
Biopsy → It is formed from "bio-" (from Greek "bios", meaning life) and "-opsy" (from Greek "opsis", meaning sight or view). The word "biopsy" refers to the act of viewing or examining living tissue, typically to diagnose disease.
Memory Tip
Think of 'life' ('bio-') and 'view' ('-opsy') to remember that a biopsy is a procedure to view living tissue.
Visually Confused Words
opsy
bios