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biopsy

[ bahy-op-see ]
/ ˈbaɪ ɒp si /
Medicine/Medical
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noun, plural bi·op·sies.
the removal for diagnostic study of a piece of tissue from a living body.
a specimen obtained from a biopsy.
verb (used with object), bi·op·sied, bi·op·sy·ing.
to remove (living tissue) for diagnostic evaluation.
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Origin of biopsy

First recorded in 1890–95; bi-2 + -opsy1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for biopsy

biopsy
/ (ˈbaɪɒpsɪ) /

noun plural -sies
examination, esp under a microscope, of tissue from a living body to determine the cause or extent of a disease
the sample taken for such an examination

Derived forms of biopsy

bioptic (baɪˈɒptɪk), adjective

Word Origin for biopsy

C20: from bio- + Greek opsis sight
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 biopsy

biopsy
[ bīŏp′sē ]

A sample of tissue removed from a living body by a medical provider for diagnostic purposes.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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