uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

noun

A surgical procedure used to remove tissue in the throat in order to widen the airway of the patient, typically carried out as treatment for sleep apnea.

Similar
palatopharyngoplastyPPPUPPP
OriginAncient Greek πλᾰστός (plăstós) ← Proto-Hellenic *plát͏̌t͏̌ō? ← English pharyngo- →
Scrabble 44
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Meanings

nounuvulopalatopharyngoplasty (countable and uncountable, plural uvulopalatopharyngoplasties, abbreviation UPPP)

plural uvulopalatopharyngoplasties · abbreviation UPPP

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA surgical procedure used to remove tissue in the throat in order to widen the airway of the patient, typically carried out as treatment for sleep apnea.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsurgical resection of unnecessary palatal and oropharyngeal tissue to open the airway; intended to cure extreme cases of snoring (with or without sleep apnea)

Similar
palatopharyngoplastyPPPUPPP
Broader
operationsurgerysurgical operation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁eyHw-
  2. Proto-Italic*oiwā
  3. Latinūva
  4. Late Latinūvula
  5. Englishuvula
  6. Englishuvulo-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*pleth₂-?
  8. Proto-Indo-European*pel-?
  9. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₂-os
  10. Latinpalātum
  11. Englishpalato-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*bʰruHg-der.?
  13. Proto-Indo-European*bʰerH-der.?
  14. Pre-Greek*?der.?
  15. Ancient Greekφάρυγξ (phárunx)
  16. New Latinpharynx
  17. Englishpharyngo-
  18. Proto-Hellenic*plátʰyō
  19. Proto-Hellenic*plát͏̌t͏̌ō?
  20. Ancient Greekπλᾰ́σσω (plắssō)
  21. Ancient Greekπλᾰστός (plăstós)
  22. Englishuvulopalatopharyngoplasty

From uvulo- + palato- + pharyngo- + -plasty.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech uvulopalatofaryngoplastika
  • uvulopalatofaryngoplastikasurgical procedure used to remove tissue in the throat
Finnish uvulopalatofaryngoplastia
  • uvulopalatofaryngoplastiasurgical procedure used to remove tissue in the throat
Cite this entry
APA

uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

MLA

“uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “uvulopalatopharyngoplasty,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

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