What does biopsy mean?
A biopsy is a medical procedure in which a small sample of living tissue is taken from a patient's body so that it can be examined under a microscope. The purpose is usually diagnostic: pathologists inspect the cells to determine whether they show signs of disease, most notably cancer, infection, or inflammation. Biopsies can be performed on almost any organ or tissue — the skin, liver, breast, prostate, lymph nodes, and bone marrow among them — using techniques that range from a simple needle draw to minor surgery. The word also functions as a verb, as in doctors may biopsy a suspicious lump, meaning to carry out this procedure. Because the term appears constantly in medical reports and health journalism, it has become one of the most widely recognized words in modern healthcare vocabulary. Its connotations are serious but hopeful: a biopsy represents the decisive step toward an accurate diagnosis rather than an outcome in itself.
The removal and microscopic examination of a small sample of living tissue, performed chiefly to diagnose disease such as cancer.
"The pathologist examined the biopsy and confirmed the tumour was benign."
Usually preceded by the site or method, e.g. liver biopsy, needle biopsy.
To remove a sample of living tissue from (a person or organ) for diagnostic examination.
"The consultant decided to biopsy the lesion rather than monitor it further."
Commonly used transitively; past tense 'biopsied' appears mostly in medical writing.
Regular plural, standard in both British and American English.
"The hospital performs hundreds of biopsies every month."
Coined in 1879 by a French dermatologist, 'biopsy' literally means 'a view of life' in Greek — medicine's way of looking closely at living tissue to save it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of biopsy
The word 'biopsy' was coined in 1879 by the French dermatologist Ernest Besnier, who combined two ancient Greek roots: 'bios', meaning 'life', and 'opsis', meaning 'sight' or 'view' — literally 'a view of the living'. It entered English through French medical literature and quickly spread into international usage as pathological diagnosis advanced. Its Greek roots make it cognate with a large family of scientific terms built on 'bios', including 'biology', 'biography', 'biochemistry', and 'symbiosis'.
Related word forms
How biopsy is actually used
Register is clinical/medical; laypeople encounter the word mainly in healthcare contexts. As a verb, forms like 'biopsied' are standard in medical writing though less common in everyday speech. The plural 'biopsies' is fully regular.
Easily confused with biopsy
An autopsy is an examination of the body performed after death, while a biopsy examines living tissue removed during life.