Definition

A medical procedure in which the tonsils are surgically removed from the throat.

Example

After suffering from frequent throat infections, the doctor recommended a tonsillectomy.

Conversation

I heard you had a tonsillectomy last week, how did it go?

It wasn't too bad, but the recovery was a bit rough.

Yeah, I can imagine! Did they say it was necessary to have the tonsillectomy?

Definitely, my doctor said it would help with my frequent throat infections.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

**Tonsillectomy** → It is formed from "tonsilla" (from Latin, meaning tonsil) and "-ectomy" (from Greek "ektomē", meaning excision or removal). The word refers to the surgical removal of the tonsils.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tonsilla' as the part of your throat that is being 'removed' ('-ectomy') during the surgery.

Visually Confused Words