Word
incision
Phoneticsin·ci·sion
US/ˌɪnˈsɪʒən/
UK/ɪnsˈɪʒən/
Definition
n. a clean, precise cut made into something, especially during a medical operation. Doctors make this using a sharp tool like a scalpel.
n. a surgical cut made into skin or flesh; a precise opening created with a sharp instrument. Often used in medical or technical contexts to describe the initial step of an invasive procedure.
Examples
“The surgeon made a small incision in the patient's arm.”
“After making the initial incision, the medical team used retractors to keep the wound open during the operation.”
“Modern laparoscopic techniques allow surgeons to perform complex internal repairs through a tiny incision, significantly reducing recovery time and the risk of post-operative infection.”
Examples
simple
“The surgeon made a small incision in the patient's arm.”
contextual
“After making the initial incision, the medical team used retractors to keep the wound open during the operation.”
complex
“Modern laparoscopic techniques allow surgeons to perform complex internal repairs through a tiny incision, significantly reducing recovery time and the risk of post-operative infection.”
Usage
Commonly paired with the verb 'make' or 'perform'.
Real-World Examples
“Philipps soon started her “dream job” playing Natalia Boutella in Cupertino, but not long into filming the series she learned she had contracted a staphylococcus infection in her incision and needed debridement surgery.” Etymology
From Middle English inscicioun, from Middle French incision, from Late Latin incisiō from the verb incidō (“I cut into”) + action noun suffix -iō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/incision