biopsy

American  

[bahy-op-see] / ˈbaɪ ɒp si /

noun

plural

biopsies

1. the removal for diagnostic study of a piece of tissue from a living body.

2. a specimen obtained from a biopsy.

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verb (used with object)

biopsied, biopsying

1. to remove (living tissue) for diagnostic evaluation.

biopsy British  

/ ˈbaɪɒpsɪ, baɪˈɒptɪk /

noun

1. examination, esp under a microscope, of tissue from a living body to determine the cause or extent of a disease

2. the sample taken for such an examination

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biopsy Scientific  

/ bī′ŏp′sē /

1. A sample of tissue removed from a living body by a medical provider for diagnostic purposes.

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Other Word Forms

• bioptic adjective

Etymology

Origin of biopsy

First recorded in 1890–95; bi- ² + -opsy ¹

Example Sentences

The dentist referred her for a biopsy at St John's Hospital in Livingston and on 20 December 2022 she was diagnosed with stage three cancer.

From BBC

"This technology could eventually enable portable or intraoperative devices that enable clinicians to detect cancers at earlier stages, improve the accuracy of biopsy sampling and monitor disease progression through less invasive testing," said Qiu.

From Science Daily

The researchers used drones carrying sterile petri dishes to capture droplets from the exhaled breath of humpback, fin and sperm whales, combined with skin biopsies taken from boats.

From BBC

Melanoma survivors who previously used tanning beds and donated their skin biopsies for this work are available for interviews upon request.

From Science Daily

According to the committee, screening - which would involve a blood test then scans of the prostate and a biopsy - can miss deadly cancers and detect those that never need treatment.

From BBC

Related Words

• autopsy
• inquiry
• observation
• probe
• test