incision

I1N1C3I1S1I1O1N1
/ɪnˈsɪʒən/

noun

A cut, especially one made by a scalpel or similar medical tool in the context of surgical operation; the scar resulting from such a cut.

Similar
Less commonScrabble 10

Meanings

nounincision (countable and uncountable, plural incisions)

plural incisions

  1. countableuncountableA cut, especially one made by a scalpel or similar medical tool in the context of surgical operation; the scar resulting from such a cut.

    Gunch was so humorous that Mrs. Babbitt said he must “stop making her laugh because honestly it was hurting her incision.”

    1922, Sinclair Lewis, chapter XXXIII, in Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC
    2 more examples

    Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled by me; Let’s purge this choler without letting blood: This we prescribe, though no physician; Deep malice makes too deep incision;

    1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene 1]

    In the midst of the men a black upright stove sends out its heat. On the glowing holes at the top Ya‘qub Artin has carefully placed some chestnuts, each with a neat incision in its side.

    1999, Ahdaf Soueif, chapter 28, in The Map of Love, London: Bloomsbury, published 2000, page 470
  2. countableuncountableThe act of cutting into a substance.

    Mnesarchus, early as a sculptor known, From nice incision of the costly stone,

    1800, William Hayley, An Essay on Sculpture, London: T. Cadell Junior and W. Davies, Epistle 4, page 89
    3 more examples

    The parte of Euacuation by lettyng of blud, is incision or cuttyng of the vayne, wherby the bloud, whiche is cause of syckenes or grefe to the hole body, or any particular part therof, doth most aptly passe.

    1539, Thomas Elyot, editor, The Castel of Helthe, London, Book 3, Chapter 6

    Never considering […] that these miseries of the people are still his own handy work, having smitt’n them like a forked Arrow so sore into the Kingdoms side, as not to be drawn out and cur’d without the incision of more flesh.

    1649, John Milton, Eikonoklastes, London, pages 94–95

    Slowly, as meticulously as if engaged upon a surgical incision, Mr Nox opened his mail.

    1964, William Trevor, chapter 21, in The Old Boys, Penguin, published 2014
  3. countableobsoleteuncountableSeparation or solution of viscid matter by medicines.
  4. countableuncountableball gamesA cut-back

    Riyad Mahrez also dragged wide after a De Bruyne incision.

    2021 March 7, David Hytner, “Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run”, in The Guardian

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna depression scratched or carved into a surface

nounthe cutting of or into body tissues or organs (especially by a surgeon as part of an operation)

Similar
sectionsurgical incision
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Late Latinincisiō
  2. Middle Frenchincision
  3. Middle Englishinscicioun
  4. Englishincision

From Middle English inscicioun, from Middle French incision, from Late Latin incisiō from the verb incidō (“to cut into”) + action noun suffix -iō.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic شَقّ
  • شَقّ (šaqq)cut
Bulgarian резка, разрез
  • резка (rezka)cut
  • разрез (razrez)cut
Catalan incisió
  • incisiócut
Finnish insisio, viilto
  • insisiocut
  • viiltocut
French incision
  • incisioncut
German Einschnitt
  • Einschnittcut
Greek τομή, εντομή
  • τομή (tomí)cut
  • εντομή (entomí)cut
Hebrew חֲתָךְ
  • חֲתָךְ (khatakh)cut
Hungarian bemetszés
  • bemetszéscut
Indonesian insisi
  • insisicut
Italian incisione
  • incisionecut
Polish cięcie
  • cięciecut
Portuguese incisão
  • incisãocut
Romanian incizie
  • inciziecut
Russian разреза́ние, надре́з
  • разреза́ние (razrezánije)cut
  • надре́з (nadréz)cut
  • зару́бка (zarúbka)cut
Spanish incisión, cisura
  • incisióncut
  • cisuracut
  • incisuracut

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with incision

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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