Caesarean
/ˌsiːzəˈriːən/noun
Relating to a surgical operation in which a baby is delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen and uterus.
Did you know?The name is popularly linked to Julius Caesar, but the surgical term likely comes from Latin *caesus* (“cut”), and the Caesar legend may be a later back-formation.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
caesus
“cut; having been cut”
Classical Latin
Latin
caesus / caedere
“to cut, strike down, or fell”
Late Latin
Latin
sectio caesarea
“a cutting operation; later, a surgical delivery by incision”
Middle French
French
césarienne
“caesarean operation”
16th Century
English
caesarean
“relating to a surgical birth by incision”
Modern English
English
caesarean
“a surgical delivery of a baby through an incision in the abdomen and uterus”