operating room

American  

noun

operating rooms plural

1. a specially equipped room, usually in a hospital, where surgical procedures are performed. OR

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• operating rooms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of operating room

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

The team was about to take her to the operating room when he was finally able to detach it.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

The most powerful treatment is not found in a prescription bottle or an operating room.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026

“We had a colloquial term in the operating room: December Deductible Derby,” said Dr. Parcells, noting that patients seeking insurance-covered surgeries like breast augmentations have deductibles in mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

While a torn ACL typically sends athletes straight to the operating room, Vonn said surgery was not a discussion.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

Inside the old, dingy operating room, Laila lay on a gurney bed as the doctor scrubbed her hands in a basin.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini