1834, from litho- + -tripsy, from Greek tripsis "rubbing," from tribein "to rub, thresh, pound, wear out," from PIE root *tere- "to rub, turn, twist" (see throw). Klein says the intended Greek word is thryptein "to crush" and there has been "confusion" with tribein.
The procedure of crushing a stone in the urinary bladder or urethra by means of a lithotriptor, a device that passes shock waves through a water-filled tub in which the patient sits. The resulting stone fragments are small enough to be expelled in the urine.
