surgery

American  

[sur-juh-ree] / ˈsɜr dʒə ri /

noun

plural

surgeries

1. the art, practice, or work of treating diseases, injuries, or deformities by manual or operative procedures.

2. the branch of medicine concerned with such treatment.

3. treatment, as an operation, performed by a surgeon.

4. a room or place for surgical operations.

5. British. a doctor's or dentist's office or office hours.

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surgery British  

/ ˈsɜːdʒərɪ /

noun

1. the branch of medicine concerned with treating disease, injuries, etc, by means of manual or operative procedures, esp by incision into the body

2. the performance of such procedures by a surgeon

3. a place where a doctor, dentist, etc, can be consulted

4. an occasion when an MP, lawyer, etc, is available for consultation

5. an operating theatre where surgical operations are performed

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Other Word Forms

• presurgery adjective

Etymology

Origin of surgery

1250–1300; Middle English surgerie < Old French cirurgerie chirurgery

Example Sentences

Then on Feb. 4, flames engulfed the Vista Del Mar Avenue home of Maria “Chelo” Vazquez, 76, who was recovering from a hip surgery following a bad fall.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

These platforms don’t need beauty filters that show 12-year-olds what they’d look like after cosmetic surgery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

He was generally feeling unwell but had no bowel symptoms, yet needed surgery just two days after his 50th birthday.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Since their invention in the 1960s, lasers have transformed both science and daily life, powering everything from grocery store scanners to vision-correcting surgery.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

“Mija is fighting a very dangerous infection and she has to have surgery if there is any chance of saving her. Please, wait outside with your children,” Nurse Cha said.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh