hemispherectomy

H4E1M3I1S1P3H4E1R1E1C3T1O1M3Y4

noun

Surgical removal of a hemisphere of the brain, usually performed to control otherwise uncontrollable epilepsy.

OriginAncient Greek ἐκτομή (ektomḗ) ← Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- ← Proto-Hellenic *eks →
Scrabble 32
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Meanings

nounhemispherectomy (plural hemispherectomies)

plural hemispherectomies

  1. Surgical removal of a hemisphere of the brain, usually performed to control otherwise uncontrollable epilepsy.

    So Lacy's parents had brought her to Johns Hopkins for a hemispherectomy, which is probably the most radical procedure in neurosurgery.

    2005 July 3, Christine Kennelly, The New Yorker, page 36

Origin

  1. Englishhemisphere
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁eǵʰs
  4. Proto-Hellenic*eks
  5. Ancient Greekἐκ (ek)
  6. Ancient Greekἐκ- (ek-)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*temh₁-
  8. Ancient Greekτέμνω (témnō)
  9. Ancient Greekἐκτέμνω (ektémnō)
  10. Ancient Greekἐκτομή (ektomḗ)
  11. Englishhemispherectomy

From hemisphere + -ectomy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan hemisferectomia
  • hemisferectomiasurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
Dutch hemisferectomie
  • hemisferectomiesurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
French hémisphérectomie
  • hémisphérectomiesurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
German Hemisphärektomie
  • Hemisphärektomiesurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
Italian emisferectomia
  • emisferectomiasurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
Polish hemisferektomia
  • hemisferektomiasurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
Portuguese hemisferectomia
  • hemisferectomiasurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
Spanish hemisferectomía
  • hemisferectomíasurgical removal of a brain hemisphere
Swedish hemisfärotomi
  • hemisfärotomisurgical removal of a brain hemisphere

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with hemispherectomy

hysterectomymastectomyvasectomyprostatectomycholecystectomynephrectomyendarterectomysplenectomylumpectomytonsillectomygastrectomyappendectomyhepatectomyoophorectomyvitrectomythyroidectomyadrenalectomylaminectomydiscectomystapedectomycolectomylobectomycystectomyovariectomy
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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