vasectomy

[ va-sek-tuh-mee ]

noun

, Surgery.

, plural vas·ec·to·mies.

1. excision of the vas deferens, or of a portion of it: performed to effect sterility in men.

vasectomy

/ væˈsɛktəmɪ /

noun

1. surgical removal of all or part of the vas deferens, esp as a method of contraception

vasectomy

/ və-sĕk′tə-mē /

1. Surgical removal of all or part of the vas deferens, resulting in sterility.

vasectomy

1. A surgical procedure in which the ducts that carry sperm out of the testes are cut and tied off so that no sperm can pass. Vasectomy is a form of male sterilization and is used as a method of birth control . The procedure has no effect on a man's capacity to produce semen ; the only difference is that his semen will no longer contain sperm.

Other Words From

• postvas·ecto·my adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vasectomy¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; vas (deferens) + -ectomy

Example Sentences

For example, some recent social media posts have encouraged men to get vasectomies by stressing that they are easily reversible.

From Time

While most health plans must cover female sterilization under the Affordable Care Act, the same isn’t true of vasectomies.

From Time

Vasectomies are surgical procedures that can be painful and difficult to reverse.

From No Straight News

He mused aloud on Twitter about getting a vasectomy but stressed that he and his wife have made no decision.

From The Daily Beast

A few years into our marriage I had a vasectomy because my wife was having health issues related to birth control pills.

From The Daily Beast

“If you have had a vasectomy, Andrew, this whole cover-up is no good,” Young quoted him as saying.

From The Daily Beast

Oddly, part of their package for asylum included a letter from a Vancouver clinic stating that Harry had received a vasectomy.

From The Daily Beast

Such sterilization of a woman is in contravention to the decretal of Gregory as given in the chapter on Vasectomy.

From Project Gutenberg

It is much easier to restore function after vasectomy than after obliterating epididymitis.

From Project Gutenberg

Vasectomy tends to check masturbation, and the minds of the masturbators frequently improve after the operation.

From Project Gutenberg

He said ten of this dozen had been confirmed masturbators, and all were cured by vasectomy.

From Project Gutenberg

If a man has been sterilized by vasectomy, restoration of function and removal of the sterility seems practically always possible.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abstinence
• condom
• contraceptive
• diaphragm
• family planning
• pill