What does tonsillectomy mean?
Tonsillectomy is a medical noun meaning the surgical removal of one or both tonsils, the lymphoid tissues located at the back of the throat. The procedure may be recommended for repeated tonsil infections, obstructive sleep apnea, breathing difficulties caused by enlarged tonsils, and other significant problems. In conversation, people commonly mention having a tonsillectomy, recovering from one, or being advised to undergo the operation. The word is primarily associated with otolaryngology and is most often discussed in medical contexts, although references to childhood surgery and postoperative recovery can appear in everyday speech. Its terminology also reveals the meaning of the word: the element “tonsil” identifies the tissue involved, while the suffix “-ectomy” denotes excision or removal. A tonsillectomy should not be confused with tonsillitis, which is inflammation or infection of the tonsils and may sometimes be treated without surgery.
nounTonsillectomy is the surgical removal of one or both tonsils, the small masses of lymphoid tissue at the back of the throat. It is performed for conditions such as recurrent tonsillitis, obstructive sleep apnea caused by enlarged tonsils, and sometimes recurrent throat infections.
- The operation of surgically removing one or both tonsils.
"Her tonsillectomy was scheduled after years of recurrent tonsillitis."
"The surgeon recommended a tonsillectomy because the enlarged tonsils were obstructing the patient's breathing during sleep."
"She returned to school two weeks after her tonsillectomy and recovered without complications."
The standard plural form is tonsillectomies, used when referring to multiple operations or to a series of cases.
"The hospital reported several tonsillectomies performed during the week."
The name is almost self-explanatory: tonsil plus -ectomy, meaning removal—a surgical subtraction from the throat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tonsillectomy come from?
The word is an English medical formation combining tonsil, from Latin tonsilla, with the Greek-derived suffix -ectomy, meaning excision or removal. The suffix became established in medical terminology for operations involving the removal of a body part. Related English words include tonsillar, tonsillitis, and tonsillotomy; tonsillotomy refers to an operation involving cutting or dividing a tonsil rather than removing it.
Related word forms
How tonsillectomy is actually used
Tonsillectomy is a formal medical term, though it is also used in ordinary conversation when discussing a patient's operation, recovery, or experience. It is a countable noun and is commonly used with words such as underwent, underwent recovery, and recommended.
Easily confused with tonsillectomy
Tonsillitis is inflammation or infection of the tonsils, whereas tonsillectomy is the operation that removes them.