Mastectomy
/ˌmæsˈtɛk.tə.mi/noun
Surgical removal of one or both breasts.
Did you know?The term was built in modern medical Latin from Greek roots, and its sharp, surgical meaning shows how medicine often preserves ancient body-words almost unchanged.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mastós
“breast”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ektomḗ
“a cutting out, excision”
Late 19th Century
English
mastectomy
“surgical removal of a breast”
Modern English
English
mastectomy
“surgical removal of one or both breasts”
Explore more surprising origins