cryosurgery

C3R1Y4O1S1U1R1G2E1R1Y4

noun

The use of a probe containing liquid nitrogen to freeze and thus destroy tissue.

OriginEnglish surgery ← Middle English surgerie ← Old French surgerie →
UncommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nouncryosurgery (countable and uncountable, plural cryosurgeries)

plural cryosurgeries

  1. countableuncountablemedicineThe use of a probe containing liquid nitrogen to freeze and thus destroy tissue.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκρῠ́ος (krŭ́os)
  2. Englishcryo-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰes-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰésōr
  5. Proto-Hellenic*kʰéhər
  6. Ancient Greekχείρ (kheír)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*werǵ-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*worǵós
  9. Proto-Hellenic*worgós
  10. Ancient Greekχειρουργός (kheirourgós)
  11. Ancient Greekχειρουργέω (kheirourgéō)
  12. Ancient Greekχειρουργίᾱ̆ (kheirourgíā̆)
  13. Latinchīrūrgia
  14. Old Frenchsurgie
  15. Old Frenchsurgerie
  16. Middle Englishsurgerie
  17. Englishsurgery
  18. Englishcryosurgery

From cryo- + surgery.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Portuguese criocirurgia
  • criocirurgiaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

cryosurgery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cryosurgery

MLA

“cryosurgery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cryosurgery. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cryosurgery,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cryosurgery.

Source: cryosurgery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.