-ectomy

American  

1. a combining form meaning “excision” of the part specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words.

   tonsillectomy.

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-ectomy British  

combining form

1. indicating surgical excision of a part

   appendectomy

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Usage

What does -ectomy mean? The combining form -ectomy is used like a suffix meaning “excision,” or "surgical removal." It is often used in medical terms, especially in surgery.The form -ectomy ultimately comes from the Greek ektomē, meaning “excision.” It is equivalent to the combination of ec- (from the Greek ek, “out”) and -tomy  from the Greek tomḗ, “a cutting”. So, -ectomy has a literal sense of “a cutting out of”—that is, “an excision.”Related to -ectomy and -tomy are the combining forms -tome, -tomous, and tomo-.

Etymology

Origin of -ectomy

< New Latin -ectomia. See ec-, -tomy

Example Sentences

When you go to the doctor for a routine blood test or to have a mole removed, when you have an appendectomy, tonsillectomy, or any other kind of ectomy, the stuff you leave behind doesn’t always get thrown out.

From Literature

In 2004, when Ashley was six, her parents initiated a three-year medical course to halt her growth, including a hyster- ectomy and the surgical removal of her breast buds.

From The Guardian