Colpocleisis
/ˌkɒlpəʊklaɪˈiːsɪs/noun
A surgical procedure that closes the vaginal canal, usually to treat pelvic-organ prolapse.
Did you know?Colpocleisis combines Ancient Greek kólpos, meaning “vagina” or originally “hollow/bosom,” with kleísis, “a closing,” linking anatomy to the ancient imagery of sealed spaces and locked chambers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel- / *kolp-
“A hollow, enclosed space or cavity; the deeper root associated with the later Greek word for a fold, bosom, or gulf.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κόλπος (kólpos)
“Bosom, fold, gulf, or hollow; in medical usage, the vagina.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κλεῖσις (kleîsis)
“A closing, shutting, or locking, from the verb kleíō, “to shut.””
19th Century
Medical Greek
colpocleisis
“A learned medical compound formed from colpo- (“vagina”) and -cleisis (“closing”).”
Modern English
English
colpocleisis
“Surgical closure of the vaginal canal, most commonly used in prolapse surgery.”