Dehn surgery

noun

The removal of a solid torus from a 3-dimensional manifold, followed by its being replaced via a homeomorphism of its boundary.

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Meanings

nounDehn surgery (countable and uncountable, plural Dehn surgeries)

plural Dehn surgeries

  1. countableuncountablemathematicsThe removal of a solid torus from a 3-dimensional manifold, followed by its being replaced via a homeomorphism of its boundary.
  2. countablespecificallyuncountablemathematicsThe same, but with the manifold in question being the 3-dimensional sphere.

Origin

Named after Max Dehn.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish Dehnkirurgi
  • Dehnkirurgireplacement of solid torus
Cite this entry
APA

Dehn surgery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dehn%20surgery

MLA

“Dehn surgery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dehn%20surgery. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dehn surgery,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dehn%20surgery.

Source: Dehn surgery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.