Affixes: -tomy

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World Wide Words -tomy

Also ‑otomy.

Cutting.

Greek ‑tomia, cutting, from temnein, to cut.

Dichotomy, a contrast between two things represented as being opposed or entirely different, derives from Greek dikho‑, in two or apart, hence ‘cutting in two’. The subject of anatomy, concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms, was so named because it relied heavily on dissection (Greek ana‑, up, so ‘cutting up’). Most other examples refer to medical procedures that involve an incision. Some common ones are given in the list below. All contain the linking vowel ‑o‑ before the ending, making it in effect ‑otomy.

See also ‑ectomy and ‑stomy.

Examples of words in -tomyExamples are from Greek unless otherwise stated.

craniotomy

removal of a portion of the skull

kranion, skull

episiotomy

a cut made at the opening of the vagina during childbirth to aid a difficult delivery

epision, pubic region

keratotomy

a surgical operation involving cutting into the cornea of the eye

keras, kerat‑, horn

laparotomy

an opening made into the abdominal cavity

lapara, flank

lobotomy

an incision into the prefrontal lobe of the brain

English lobe

osteotomy

the surgical cutting of a bone

osteon, bone

phlebotomy

the surgical opening or puncture of a vein in order to withdraw blood

phleps, phleb‑, vein

thoracotomy

making an opening into the chest wall

thōrax, thorāc‑, chest

tracheotomy

an incision in the windpipe made to relieve an obstruction to breathing

English trachea, windpipe

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