surgical

[ sur-ji-kuhl ]

/ ˈsɜr dʒɪ kəl /

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adjective

pertaining to or involving surgery or surgeons.

used in surgery.

characterized by extreme precision or incisiveness: a surgical air strike against enemy targets.

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Origin of surgical

First recorded in 1760–70; surg(eon) + -ical

OTHER WORDS FROM surgical

sur·gi·cal·ly, adverbnon·sur·gi·cal, adjectivenon·sur·gi·cal·ly, adverbpost·sur·gi·cal, adjective

pre·sur·gi·cal, adjectivepro·sur·gi·cal, adjectiveun·sur·gi·cal, adjectiveun·sur·gi·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby surgical

surge protector, surgery, surge tank, surge tide, Surg. Gen., surgical, surgical abdomen, surgical anatomy, surgical anesthesia, surgical boot, surgical diathermy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use surgical in a sentence

So she logged in again and found an opening that afternoon at the local surgical hospital.
What went wrong with America’s $44 million vaccine data system?|Cat Ferguson|January 30, 2021|MIT Technology Review
A new trend is to also double up on two effective multi-layer masks, such as wearing a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask or even a certified N95 mask underneath a cloth mask.
What you can do right now to protect yourself from the new COVID-19 variants|Claire Maldarelli|January 29, 2021|Popular-Science
In Hong Kong, for instance, surgical masks and gloves litter hiking trails and wash up on beaches.
Unmasking the pandemic’s pollution problem|Stephen Ornes|January 28, 2021|Science News For Students
Without a medical-grade face covering, Marr said, people can get the best, simplest protection by wearing a cloth mask tightly on top of a surgical mask.
Time to double or upgrade masks as coronavirus variants emerge, experts say|Fenit Nirappil|January 27, 2021|Washington Post

A tightly woven cloth mask might get you to 60 or 70 percent, and a blue surgical mask can get you to 70 or 80 percent.
Everyone should be wearing N95 masks now|Joseph G. Allen|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
Add in additional demand, as with a surgical procedure, and the body is pushed to its very limits.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Risky Heart Surgery|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When the same abnormality was detected in a subsequent pregnancy at 18 weeks, she was able to have a surgical abortion.
Women Share Their Secret Abortion Stories For 1 in 3 Campaign|Brandy Zadrozny|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For some, 72 hours will mark the difference between having a medical vs. a surgical procedure.
Abortion in Missouri Is the Wait of a Lifetime|Justin Glawe|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While some forms of DSD require careful medical attention, most cases do not require violent surgical intervention.
Intersexuality and God Through the Ages|Candida Moss|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two years ago, however, Nancy became ill with a post-surgical infection that caused her immense pain.
U.K. Courts Grant Mother Right to End Her 12-Year-Old Disabled Daughter’s Life|Elizabeth Picciuto|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Strictures of the male urethra from chronic gonorrhoeal inflammation often require major surgical operations for relief.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
A—surgical operation is, he says, the only—only thing that can possibly save her life, and—he hopes it will.
Elsie's Vacation and After Events|Martha Finley
At his death, Benson became the possessor of his few books, his few surgical instruments and some curious preparations.
Papers from Overlook-House|Casper Almore
He also wrote on diseases of the urinary organs, and on local nervous affections of a surgical character.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
It was up to me to find the boss as quickly as I could and have the three-cornered surgical operation over with.
The Wreckers|Francis Lynde

British Dictionary definitions for surgical

surgical

/ (ˈsɜːdʒɪkəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, involving, or used in surgery

(of an action) performed with extreme precisiona surgical air attack on the missile complex

Derived forms of surgical

surgically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for surgical

surgical

[ sûr′jĭ-kəl ]

adj.

Of, relating to, or characteristic of surgeons or surgery.

Used in surgery.

Resulting from or occurring after surgery.