Meanings
nounpsychosurgery (countable and uncountable, plural psychosurgeries)
plural psychosurgeries
- countableuncountablemedicineSurgery of the brain to treat or alleviate mental illness.
This was studied in humans where amygdalotomies were done not to control seizures but to control aggression. Such psychosurgery provoked fiery controversy in the 1970s. And I don't mean scientists not saying hello to each other at conferences. I mean a major public shit storm.
2017, Robert Sapolsky, chapter 2, in Behave, Penguin, →ISBN
Origin
- Ancient Greekψῡχή (psūkhḗ)
- Ancient Greekψῡχο- (psūkho-)
- Englishpsycho-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰes-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰésōr
- Proto-Hellenic*kʰéhər
- Ancient Greekχείρ (kheír)
- Proto-Indo-European*werǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*worǵós
- Proto-Hellenic*worgós
- Ancient Greekχειρουργός (kheirourgós)
- Ancient Greekχειρουργέω (kheirourgéō)
- Ancient Greekχειρουργίᾱ̆ (kheirourgíā̆)
- Latinchīrūrgia
- Old Frenchsurgie
- Old Frenchsurgerie
- Middle Englishsurgerie
- Englishsurgery
- Englishpsychosurgery
Cite this entry
APA
psychosurgery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychosurgery
MLA
“psychosurgery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychosurgery. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “psychosurgery,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/psychosurgery.
Source: psychosurgery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.