microtomy

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noun

The preparation of very thin slices of animal or plant tissue by means of a microtome.

OriginAncient Greek τέμνω (témnō) ← Proto-Indo-European *temh₁- ← English micro- →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

nounmicrotomy (usually uncountable, plural microtomies)

plural microtomies

  1. uncountableusuallyThe preparation of very thin slices of animal or plant tissue by means of a microtome.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekμῑκρός (mīkrós)
  3. Ancient Greekμῑκρο- (mīkro-)
  4. Englishmicro-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*temh₁-
  6. Ancient Greekτέμνω (témnō)
  7. Englishmicrotomy

From micro- + -tomy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German Mikrotomie
  • Mikrotomiepreparation of slices by means of a microtome
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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