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hysterectomy

American

[his-tuh-rek-tuh-mee] / ˌhɪs təˈrɛk tə mi /

noun

Surgery.

excision of the uterus.

hysterectomy British

/ ˌhɪstəˈrɛktəmɪ /

noun

surgical removal of the uterus

"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

hysterectomy Scientific

/ hĭs′tə-rĕk′tə-mē /

Surgical removal of part or all of the uterus.

hysterectomy Cultural

The surgical removal of all or part of the uterus.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

hysterectomies

plural

Etymology

Origin of hysterectomy

First recorded in 1885–90; hyster- + -ectomy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The most consequential lie was the pregnancy she faked for nearly 10 months even after most of those close to her knew it was a fraud: She’d had a hysterectomy in 2010.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Historically, adenomyosis has been a condition which is hard to diagnose, as a hysterectomy was the only way to properly analyse the womb.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

After I woke up at the hospital, I needed multiple surgeries, blood transfusions and a partial hysterectomy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Wondering about a link between emissions from nearby facilities and her own health woes, Nolan moved away after undergoing a hysterectomy, she said.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

Then, at twenty-one, Grandma Jenny was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a hysterectomy.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023