tracheostomy

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noun

A surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the trachea, through the neck, and a tube inserted so as to make an artificial opening in order to assist breathing.

Similar
tracheotomy
OriginEnglish stoma ← New Latin stoma ← Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma) →
UncommonScrabble 22
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Meanings

nountracheostomy (plural tracheostomies)

plural tracheostomies · alternative tracheotomy

  1. medicineA surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the trachea, through the neck, and a tube inserted so as to make an artificial opening in order to assist breathing.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna surgical operation that creates an opening into the trachea with a tube inserted to provide a passage for air; performed when the pharynx is obstructed by edema or cancer or other causes

Similar
tracheotomy
Broader
operationsurgerysurgical operation
Also see
tracheotomy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰreh₂gʰ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰréh₂gʰus
  3. Proto-Hellenic*tʰrākʰús
  4. Ancient Greekτρᾱχεῖᾰ (trākheîă)
  5. Late Latintrāchīa
  6. Medieval Latintrāchēa
  7. Englishtrachea
  8. Englishtracheo-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*steh₃-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*stéh₃mn̥
  11. Proto-Hellenic[Term?]
  12. Ancient Greekστόμα (stóma)
  13. New Latinstoma
  14. Englishstoma
  15. Englishtracheostomy

From tracheo- + -stomy.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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