What does resecting mean?
Resecting is the present participle of the verb resect, meaning to cut away or remove a portion of an organ or tissue, especially during surgery. The term is most often associated with the removal of a tumor, an diseased section of an intestine, or another abnormal area while preserving healthy surrounding tissue. In general writing, “removed” or “cut out” may be more accessible, but “resected” conveys the specific surgical procedure involved. The word is formal and technical, appearing in medicine, pathology, oncology, and surgical research. Its meaning can also be extended slightly beyond medicine to refer to removing a significant or unwanted part of something larger. Resecting is related in origin to words such as dissect, section, and bisect, all of which ultimately derive from the Latin verb secare, “to cut.”
verbTo cut away or remove a part of the body, especially a diseased or abnormal portion of an organ or tissue, as in surgery.
- To cut away or remove a diseased, abnormal, or otherwise unwanted portion of an organ or tissue, especially by surgery.
"The surgeon resected the tumor while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible."
"The surgeon resected the affected section of the intestine."
"After further testing, the pathologist confirmed that the growth had been completely resected."
From Latin re- and secare, meaning “to cut again,” resecting is a surgical word for removing what should no longer remain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of resecting
The English verb resect comes through medical usage from Latin resecare, formed from re- and secare, both associated with cutting: re- indicates back or again, while secare means “to cut.” The Latin verb resecare conveyed cutting back or cutting off, and the English medical term developed in the sense of removing a part of the body. Its relatives include dissect, section, bisect, and insect, which share the Latin cutting root although they developed different meanings.
Related word forms
How resecting is actually used
Chiefly used in medical and surgical contexts. It is more precise and more specialized than simply saying “removed,” since it specifically suggests cutting away part of an organ or tissue.
Easily confused with resecting
Resecting means cutting away and removing a body part, usually because it is diseased, whereas dissecting usually means cutting something apart to examine or study its structure.