amniocentesis

[ am-nee-oh-sen-tee-sis ]

noun,plural am·ni·o·cen·te·ses [am-nee-oh-sen-tee-seez]. /ˌæm ni oʊ sɛnˈti siz/.
  1. a surgical procedure for obtaining a sample of amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac in the uterus of a pregnant woman by inserting a hollow needle through the abdominal wall, used in diagnosing certain genetic defects or possible obstetric complications.

Origin of amniocentesis

1
1955–60; amnio- (as combining form of amnion) + centesis

Words Nearby amniocentesis

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British Dictionary definitions for amniocentesis

amniocentesis

/ (ˌæmnɪəʊsɛnˈtiːsɪs) /


nounplural -ses (-siːz)
  1. removal of some amniotic fluid by the insertion into the womb of a hollow needle, for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes

Origin of amniocentesis

1
C20: from amnion + centesis, from Greek kentēsis a puncture, from kentein to prick

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

Scientific definitions for amniocentesis

amniocentesis

[ ăm′nē-ō-sĕn-tēsĭs ]


  1. A procedure usually done about the sixteenth week of pregnancy in which a small sample of amniotic fluid is drawn out of the uterus through a needle inserted in the abdomen. The fluid is analyzed to determine the gender of the fetus or the presence of genetic abnormalities.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for amniocentesis

amniocentesis

[ (am-nee-oh-sen-tee-sis) ]


A procedure for finding certain disorders in a fetus during pregnancy. In amniocentesis, a small amount of the salty liquid that surrounds the fetus in the amniotic sac is drawn out through a needle inserted into the mother's abdomen. The fluid generally contains some isolated cells from the fetus. These cells are analyzed to detect abnormalities in the chromosomes of the fetus, such as Down's syndrome, and may also be used to judge some other conditions, such as the maturity of the fetus's lungs.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.