-ectomy

American  

1. a combining form meaning “excision” of the part specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words.

   tonsillectomy.

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-ectomy British  

combining form

1. indicating surgical excision of a part

   appendectomy

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Usage

What does -ectomy mean? The combining form -ectomy is used like a suffix meaning “excision,” or "surgical removal." It is often used in medical terms, especially in surgery. The form -ectomy ultimately comes from the Greek ektomē, meaning “excision.” It is equivalent to the combination of ec- (from the Greek ek, “out”) and -tomy  from the Greek tomḗ, “a cutting”. So, -ectomy has a literal sense of “a cutting out of”—that is, “an excision.”Related to -ectomy and -tomy are the combining forms -tome, -tomous, and tomo-.

Etymology

Origin of -ectomy

< New Latin -ectomia. See ec-, -tomy