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colostomy

American  
[kuh-los-tuh-mee] / kəˈlɒs tə mi /

noun

Surgery.
colostomies plural
  1. the construction of an artificial opening from the colon through the abdominal wall, thus bypassing a diseased portion of the lower intestine and permitting the passage of intestinal contents.

  2. the opening so constructed.


colostomy British  
/ kəˈlɒstəmɪ /

noun

  1. the surgical formation of an opening from the colon onto the surface of the body, which functions as an anus

"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

colostomy Scientific  
/ kə-lŏstə-mē /
  1. Surgical construction of an opening from the colon through the abdominal wall to the outside of the body for the purpose of excretion.


Etymology

Origin of colostomy

First recorded in 1885–90; colo- + -stomy

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.

A colostomy bag was attached to his torso.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2024

Another resident did not have her colostomy bag attached.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2023

In “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Matthew Perry gets serious about sobriety, mortality, colostomy bags and pickleball.

From New York Times • Oct. 24, 2022

She used to use duct tape to secure her colostomy bag.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2022

When the teacher got to her, Whitiker thought about the colostomy bag attached to her patient and started crying.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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