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vasectomy

American  
[va-sek-tuh-mee] / væˈsɛk tə mi /

noun

Surgery.

plural

vasectomies

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

vasectomy British  
/ væˈsɛktəmɪ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
vasectomy Scientific  
/ və-sĕk′tə-mē /

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

vasectomy Cultural  

  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 Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of vasectomy

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Vasectomy is a very reliable and safe contraception method," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2023

Guarin, who serves on the medical advisory board for World Vasectomy Day, helped offer vasectomies last year at the Planned Parenthood in St. Louis to raise awareness about the procedure.

From Washington Times • Oct. 13, 2022

The efforts are part of World Vasectomy Day, originally a single-day event that now includes a year-round focus and a host of activities in November.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2022

Vasectomy offers those who have reached their desired family size an opportunity to make contraceptive equality more than a dream.

From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2022

Vasectomy is the resection of a portion of the duct of the testicles, followed by ligature of the ends.

From The Fertility of the Unfit by Waddell, Rutherford

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.