biopsy
Americannoun
-
the removal for diagnostic study of a piece of tissue from a living body.
-
a specimen obtained from a biopsy.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of biopsy
Explanation
A biopsy is a sample of tissue or liquid from the body that helps determine if you have a disease. If your doctor finds a lump in part of your body, she will probably do a biopsy to see if it is cancerous or not. Bios means "life" and opsis means "see" or "sight," so a biopsy is a way for a doctor to look into your body, so to speak, by taking a sample of it. There are different kinds of biopsies, depending on where the tissue is that your doctor needs to look at. You might have a surgical biopsy or a less invasive biopsy by needle.
Vocabulary lists containing biopsy
Words to Live By: Bio
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Common Senses: Op, Ops, Opt ("Sight")
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
National Nurses Week: Common Medical Terms
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The content creator said her daughter underwent numerous X-rays, ultrasounds and a biopsy before the hospital team determined the cancer diagnosis.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
After ruling out more serious autoimmune conditions, my new dermatologist did a scalp biopsy and finally diagnosed me with fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution, or FAPD, in which inflammation damages hair follicles via scarring.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
After a biopsy of a lymph node in his neck showed cancer, Vitale underwent surgery in the summer of 2024.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
But Rosie got sicker and a biopsy showed in 2024 that she did have terminal cancer.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
When he saw the photographs of her biopsy, he immediately realized her tumor had been misdiagnosed.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
