incision

American  

[in-sizh-uhn] / ɪnˈsɪʒ ən /

noun

• incisions
  plural

1. a cut, gash, or notch.

2. the act of incising.

3. a cutting into, especially for surgical purposes.

4. incisiveness; keenness.

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incision British  

/ ɪnˈsɪʒən /

noun

1. the act of incising

2. a cut, gash, or notch

3. a cut made with a knife during a surgical operation

4. any indentation in an incised leaf

5. rare incisiveness

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Usage

What does incision mean? An incision is a cut made into the body during surgery. Traditionally, incisions are made with surgical instruments like scalpels. However, they can also be made with lasers or robotic tools. Sometimes, incision refers to the scar resulting from such a cut. Incision is the noun form of the verb incise, meaning to cut into. The noun form incision is more commonly used. More generally, incision can refer to any cut or gash, but it is primarily used to refer to surgical incisions. Example: The surgeon explained that she would need to make three small incisions in my abdomen in order to remove my appendix.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• incisions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of incision

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin incīsiōn- (stem of incīsiō ). See incise, -ion

Explanation

An incision is a surgical cut. A doctor uses a scalpel to make an incision in a patient's skin. An incision usually refers to a cut that's made during surgery, like an abdominal incision made by a surgeon during a gall bladder operation. A decorative or artistic cut can also be called an incision, such as a cut in carved wood or marble. Incision can also describe the power of sharp observation, like the incision of your friend who can always tell when you're upset, even when you try to hide it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incision incisions

Maisie was left with a scar, twice the size of a C-section incision.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

More surgical options have emerged too, such as smaller incisions in the chest, or a robotic surgery that involves a smaller incision on a person’s side near the armpit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

“They’re calling about their incision sites, which are bleeding. Their child has asthma, and the instructions for the medications are not clear.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2025

But when the bandage came off a few weeks later, Jodee saw two scars instead of one on the inside of her child's leg when they had been told it would be just one incision.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2024

It took me ten minutes to make it back to bed, and, by then, the incision on my stomach throbbed and I’d broken out in a drenching sweat.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Before, Ahmad could tap — meaning to cut incisions in the acacia trees, which exude sap that a few weeks later hardens into nodules of Hashab gum — four orchards in one go.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

Robotic surgery requires only very small incisions, which are possible thanks to the use of miniaturised cameras and instruments, controlled remotely by a surgeon, via the robotic system's console.

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

More surgical options have emerged too, such as smaller incisions in the chest, or a robotic surgery that involves a smaller incision on a person’s side near the armpit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

They differed from common trays due to their internal surface, marked with rough impressions or incisions arranged repetitively and regularly.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024

Through bleary eyes, Tally saw that it was a 3-D copy of the note, perfect down to the slight incisions of Shay’s labored penmanship on the paper.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Related Words

• laceration