Mastect
/mæˈstɛkt/noun
To surgically remove a breast or breast tissue.
Did you know?Mastect is a back-formation from “mastectomy,” whose first element comes from Ancient Greek mastos, meaning “breast”; the same root appears in the supposedly prehistoric-looking word “mastodon.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mā-
“A reconstructed root associated with the breast or mother’s breast.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
mastos (μαστός)
“Breast; breast-shaped protuberance.”
19th Century
New Latin
mastectomia
“Surgical removal of a breast, formed from Greek mastos “breast” and tomē “cutting.””
19th Century
English
mastectomy
“Surgical removal of a breast or breast tissue.”
20th Century
English
mastect
“A back-formed verb meaning to remove surgically, especially to remove a breast.”