Meanings
nounbiopsy (plural biopsies)
plural biopsies
- The removal and examination of a sample of tissue, cells, or bodily fluid from a living body for diagnostic purposes.
We will need to perform a biopsy to determine whether the tumour is malignant or benign.
1 more example
All the while he was talking, he took lots of biopsies, small samples of tissue to be examined by pathologists using a microscope.
2021, Dr Philippa Kaye, Doctors Get Cancer Too, Vie Books, page 22
verbbiopsy (third-person singular simple present biopsies, present participle biopsying, simple past and past participle biopsied)
present singular third person biopsies · participle present biopsying · participle past biopsied · past biopsied
- To take a sample (a biopsy) for pathological examination.
They biopsied the lump but it turned out to be non-cancerous.
Origin
- Frenchbiopsie
- Englishbiopsy
From French biopsie, from bi- + -opsy.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic خَزْعَة
- خَزْعَة (ḵazʕa)removal and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Catalan biòpsia
- biòpsiaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Chinese Mandarin 活組織檢查 /活组织检查, 活檢 /活检
- 活組織檢查 /活组织检查 (huózǔzhī jiǎnchá)removal and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- 活檢 /活检 (huójiǎn)removal and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- 切片檢查 /切片检查 (qiēpiàn jiǎnchá)removal and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- 活組織檢查 /活组织检查 (huózǔzhī jiǎnchá)to take a sample for pathological examination
- 活檢 /活检 (huójiǎn)to take a sample for pathological examination
- 切片檢查 /切片检查 (qiēpiàn jiǎnchá)to take a sample for pathological examination
Czech biopsie
- biopsieremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Danish biopsi
- biopsiremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Finnish biopsia, tehdä biopsia
- biopsiaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- tehdä biopsiato take a sample for pathological examination
- ottaa koepalato take a sample for pathological examination
French biopsie
- biopsieremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
German Biopsie, biopsieren
- Biopsieremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- biopsierento take a sample for pathological examination
Hebrew בִּיּוֹפְּסְיָה
- בִּיּוֹפְּסְיָה (biyópsya)removal and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Hungarian biopszia, szövettani mintavétel
- biopsziaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- szövettani mintavételremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- biopsziát végezto take a sample for pathological examination
- szövetmintát veszto take a sample for pathological examination
Icelandic vefsýnitaka, taka vefsýni
- vefsýnitakaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- taka vefsýnito take a sample for pathological examination
Irish bithóipse
- bithóipseremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Italian biopsia
- biopsiaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Māori unuhanga pota
- unuhanga potato take a sample for pathological examination
Polish biopsja
- biopsjaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Portuguese biopsia, biópsia
- biopsiaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- biópsiaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Russian биопси́я
- биопси́я (biopsíja)removal and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Slovak biopsia
- biopsiaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Spanish biopsia, biopsiar
- biopsiaremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- biopsiarto take a sample for pathological examination
Swedish vävnadsprovtagning, biopsi
- vävnadsprovtagningremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- biopsiremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- vävnadsprovremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Tagalog surimbuhay
- surimbuhayremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Turkish biyopsi
- biyopsiremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
Vietnamese sinh thiết, sinh thiết
- sinh thiếtremoval and examination of a sample of tissue for diagnostic purposes
- sinh thiếtto take a sample for pathological examination
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
biopsy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biopsy
MLA
“biopsy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biopsy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “biopsy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biopsy.
Source: biopsy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.