What does "surgery" mean?
The act or process involving major incisions to remove, repair, or replace a part of a body; an instance of this process (a procedure).
Surgery
/ˈsɜː.d͡ʒə.ɹi/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or process involving major incisions to remove, repair, or replace a part of a body; an instance of this process (a procedure).
- Grammar: surgery is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: operation, surgical procedure, a procedure, abscission.
- Useful contrasts: external beam radiotherapy, medical treatment, anaesthetic.
- Usage evidence: Even plastic surgery won't do anything for your ugliness.
How to use "surgery"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "surgery" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "surgery" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "surgery" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "surgery" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "surgery" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "operation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "surgery", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act or process involving major incisions to remove, repair, or replace a part of a body; an instance of this process (a procedure). uncountable, usually
"Surgery is often necessary to prevent cancer from spreading."
- 2 a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body wordnet
- 3 The medical specialty related to the performance of surgical procedures. countable, uncountable
- 4 a room in a hospital equipped for the performance of surgical operations wordnet
- 5 A room or department where surgery is performed. countable, uncountable
"The physician's proper place was in the library, not in the surgery."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a room where a doctor or dentist can be consulted wordnet
- 7 A doctor's office; a clinic. British, countable, uncountable
"I dropped in on the surgery as I was passing to show the doctor my hemorrhoids."
- 8 the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures wordnet
- 9 A medical practitioner’s office hours. British, countable, uncountable
"Surgery is from six to seven o’clock. If you wanted to bring a dog in, that would be your best time."
- 10 Any arrangement where people arrive and wait for an interview with certain people, particularly a politician. cf. clinic. British, countable, uncountable
"Our MP will be holding a surgery in the village hall on Tuesday."
- 11 A pre-packaged bankruptcy or "quick bankruptcy". countable, slang, uncountable
- 12 The production of a manifold by removing parts of one manifold and replacing them with corresponding parts of others. countable, uncountable
- 13 Drastic changes made to anything. broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"The C# compiler evidently performs some major surgery on your code each time you use the await keyword."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Even plastic surgery won't do anything for your ugliness."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "surgery"?
Common synonyms include: operation, surgical procedure, a procedure, abscission, adjective of process, amputation.
How do you use "surgery" in a sentence?
Even plastic surgery won't do anything for your ugliness.
How do you pronounce "surgery"?
Pronounced /ˈsɜː.d͡ʒə.ɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English surgerie, from Old French surgerie, from Latin chirurgia, from Ancient Greek χειρουργία (kheirourgía), from χείρ (kheír, “hand”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). Doublet of chirurgy.