lobotomy

American  

[luh-bot-uh-mee, loh-] / ləˈbɒt ə mi, loʊ- /

noun

Surgery.

plural

lobotomies

1. the operation of cutting into a lobe, as of the brain or the lung.

2. prefrontal lobotomy.

---

lobotomy British  

/ ləʊˈbɒtəmɪ /

noun

1. a surgical incision into a lobe of any organ

2. Also called: prefrontal leucotomy.  a surgical interruption of one or more nerve tracts in the frontal lobe of the brain: used in the treatment of intractable mental disorders

---

lobotomy Scientific  

/ lə-bŏt′ə-mē /

1. Surgical incision into the frontal lobe of the brain to sever one or more nerve tracts, a technique formerly used to treat certain psychiatric disorders but now rarely performed.

---

lobotomy Cultural  

1. A surgical incision into one or more of the nerve masses in the front of the brain. A lobotomy may be performed for the relief of certain mental disorders, although it has been largely abandoned in favor of less radical treatments.

---

Discover More

Because people who have had a lobotomy often become quite passive after the operation, the term is often used to refer to someone who shows a lack of response or reaction: “She was so tired she just sat there as if she had been lobotomized.”

Etymology

Origin of lobotomy

C20: from _lobe + _-tomy

Example Sentences

But that would be like a frontal lobotomy and reduce us to happy animals.

From The Wall Street Journal

The history of lobotomy is such that no one would want to be associated with reckless brain surgery.

From Salon

And to do that, you had to have a “frontal lobotomy” said Mr Brilliant.

From BBC

After the column ran, Microsoft gave Bing a lobotomy, neutralizing Sydney’s outbursts and installing new guardrails to prevent more unhinged behavior.

From New York Times

“It’s interesting if you go back in history, the way to treat mental illness 50 to 100 years ago was a lobotomy,” he said.

From Washington Times