Rhinoplasty
/ˈraɪ.noʊˌplæs.ti/noun
Surgical reconstruction or reshaping of the nose.
Did you know?The word is built from Greek rhis/rhinos, “nose,” and plassein, “to mold or shape,” the same ancient verb behind “plastic” and “plaster,” so the term literally treats the nose like something sculpted.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥίς / ῥινός (rhis / rhinos)
“nose”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πλάσσειν (plassein)
“to mold, shape, or form”
19th Century
German/Medical Latin
Rhinoplastik
“surgical reconstruction of the nose”
19th Century
English
rhinoplasty
“surgical repair or reshaping of the nose”
Modern English
English
rhinoplasty
“surgical reconstruction or reshaping of the nose”