episiotomy

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US/əˌpiːziːˈɒtəmiː/UK/ˌɛpəsaɪˈɒtəmiː/

noun

A surgical incision through the perineum made to enlarge the vagina and assist childbirth.

OriginAncient Greek ἐπίσιον →
UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounepisiotomy (plural episiotomies)

plural episiotomies

  1. medicineA surgical incision through the perineum made to enlarge the vagina and assist childbirth.

    The following eight hours were the worst of my life that haven't ended in an episiotomy.

    2011, Caitlin Moran, How to be a Woman

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἐπίσιον“pubic region”
  2. Englishepisiotomy

From episio- + -tomy (“surgical incision”), from Ancient Greek ἐπίσιον (epísion, “pubic region”) + τέμνω (témnō, “I cut”)).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بضع الفرج
  • بضع الفرجsurgical incision
Catalan episiotomia
  • episiotomiasurgical incision
Chinese Mandarin 會陰切開術 /会阴切开术
  • 會陰切開術 /会阴切开术 (huìyīn-qièkāishù)surgical incision
Czech epiziotomie, nástřih hráze
  • epiziotomiesurgical incision
  • nástřih hrázesurgical incision
Dutch episiotomie, epi
  • episiotomiesurgical incision
  • episurgical incision
Finnish episiotomia
  • episiotomiasurgical incision
French épisiotomie
  • épisiotomiesurgical incision
Hungarian gátmetszés, epiziotómia
  • gátmetszéssurgical incision
  • epiziotómiasurgical incision
Indonesian episiotomi
  • episiotomisurgical incision
Italian episiotomia
  • episiotomiasurgical incision
Japanese 会陰切開
  • 会陰切開 (ein sekkai)surgical incision
Korean 회음 절개
  • 회음 절개 (hoeeum jeolgae)surgical incision
Polish episiotomia, nacięcie krocza
  • episiotomiasurgical incision
  • nacięcie kroczasurgical incision
Portuguese episiotomia
  • episiotomiasurgical incision
Romanian epiziotomie, perineotomie
  • epiziotomiesurgical incision
  • perineotomiesurgical incision
Russian эпизиотоми́я
  • эпизиотоми́я (epiziotomíja)surgical incision
Spanish episiotomía
  • episiotomíasurgical incision
Swedish perineotomi, episiotomi
  • perineotomisurgical incision
  • episiotomisurgical incision
  • klippsurgical incision
Turkish epizyotomi, perineotomi
  • epizyotomisurgical incision
  • perineotomisurgical incision
Cite this entry
APA

episiotomy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/episiotomy

MLA

“episiotomy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/episiotomy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “episiotomy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/episiotomy.

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