Lithotripsy

//ˈlɪθ.əˌtɹɪp.si// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A treatment, typically using ultrasound shock waves or crushing with a surgical instrument, by which a kidney stone or similar calculus is broken into particles small enough to be voided or washed out.

Etymology

From litho- (“relating to a stone or calculus”) + Ancient Greek τρῖψῐς (trîpsĭs, “rubbing, friction”) + -y.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.