-ectomy
a combining form meaning “excision” of the part specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words:
tonsillectomy.
-ectomy
combining form
indicating surgical excision of a part appendectomy
word origin
from new latin -ectomia, from greek ek- out + -tomy
-ectomy
“surgical removal,” from gk. -ektomia “a cutting out of,” from ektemnein “to cut out,” from ek “out” + temnein “to cut” (see tome).
-ectomy suff.
surgical removal: tonsillectomy.
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a noun-forming suffix occurring originally in loanwords from french (buccaneer; mutineer; pioneer) and productive in the formation of english nouns denoting persons who produce, handle, or are otherwise significantly -ssociated with the referent of the base word (auctioneer; engineer; mountaineer; pamphleteer); now frequently pejorative (profiteer; racketeer). compare -ary, -er2 , -ier2 . -eer suffix (forming […]
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