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The combining form -ectomy is used like a suffix meaning “excision,” or “surgical removal.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in surgery.

The form -ectomy ultimately comes from the Greek ektomŧ, meaning “excision.” It is equivalent to the combination of ec- (from the Greek ek, “out”) and -tomy  from the Greek �ٴdz�ḗ, “a cutting”. So, -ectomy has a literal sense of “a cutting out of”—that is, “an excision.”

Related to -ectomy and -tomy are the combining forms -tome, -tomous, and tomo-.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -ectomy is vasectomy, “excision of the vas deferens or of a portion of it.” This operation is performed to make men sterile, as the vas deferens is the duct that transports sperm to the penis.

The first part of the word, vas-, represents the vas deferens. The form -ectomy means “excision.” Vasectomy literally means “excision of the vas deferens.”

What are some words that use the combining form -ectomy?

• adenectomy
• appendectomy
• cardiectomy
• cecectomy
• chondrectomy
• craniectomy
• cystectomy
• diverticulectomy
• embryectomy
• enterectomy
• hysterectomy
• lipectomy
• lithectomy
• myectomy
• lumpectomy
• mammectomy
• mastectomy
• orchidectomy
• phallectomy
• pleurectomy
• proctectomy
• testectomy
• tonsillectomy
• tylectomy
• vertebrectomy

What are some other forms that -ectomy may be commonly confused with?

• -stome
• -stomy
• -stomous

Based on the meaning of -ectomy, what is a tonsillectomy?