Definition

A medical procedure where a doctor operates on a patient to treat a disease or injury, often involving cutting into the body.

Example

She had to undergo surgery to remove her appendix.

Conversation

Did you hear about Jake's surgery next week?

Yeah, I hope everything goes smoothly for him.

Me too, I know he's been really anxious about the whole thing.

It's understandable, but he's in good hands with the doctors.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Surgery → It is derived from the Greek word "cheirourgia" (meaning hand work), which is composed of "cheir" (meaning hand) and "ergon" (meaning work). The term originally referred to manual work performed by a surgeon, particularly involving the hands in medical procedures.

Memory Tip

Think of 'hand work' ('cheir' means hand and 'ergon' means work) to remember that surgery involves manual procedures performed by a surgeon.

Visually Confused Words