-plasty

American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “molding, formation” “surgical repair, plastic surgery,” used in the formation of compound words.

   angioplasty; galvanoplasty; heteroplasty.

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-plasty British  

combining form

1. indicating plastic surgery involving a bodily part, tissue, or a specified process

   rhinoplasty

   neoplasty

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Usage

What does -plasty mean? The combining form -plasty is used like a suffix meaning “molding, formation.” In medical terms, -plasty is often used in the sense of "surgical repair, plastic surgery." Contrary to popular belief, the plastic in plastic surgery does not refer to the use of the material plastic. Rather, plastic in this sense means "the art of modeling figures."The form -plasty comes from Greek -plastia, meaning “formed” or “molded.” Find out how -plastia is related to plasma, plaster, and plastic at our entry for each word.What are variants of -plasty?The form -plasty does not have any variants. However, it is related to the forms -plasm, -plasia, -plasy, -plast, and -plastic. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for those forms.

Etymology

Origin of -plasty

< Greek -plastia. See -plast, -y ³

Example Sentences

I begun to have a suspicion the stuff was made of sawdust with plasty of Paris fur frostin'.

From Project Gutenberg