surgery

UK: /ˈsɜː^rdʒəri/ US: /ˈsɝdʒəri/ ,(sûr′jə rē)

Inflections of 'surgery' (n): npl: surgeries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

sur•ger•y /ˈsɜrdʒəri/   n., pl. -ger•ies for 4, 5. .

1. Surgery the practice of treating diseases, injuries, etc., by performing medical operations or procedures, or the branch of medicine dealing with such:
   [uncountable] medical school courses in surgery.
2. Surgery treatment, as an operation, performed by a surgeon:
   [uncountable] You may not need surgery after all.
3. any major repair or change produced as if by a surgical operation:
   [uncountable] Major surgery will be needed on those budget proposals.
4. Surgery [countable] a room or place for surgical operations.
5. Surgery [countable] [Brit.] a doctor's office.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

sur•ger•y  (sûr′jə rē), n., pl. -ger•ies for 3–5.

1. Surgery the art, practice, or work of treating diseases, injuries, or deformities by manual or operative procedures.
2. Surgery the branch of medicine concerned with such treatment.
3. Surgery treatment, as an operation, performed by a surgeon.
4. Surgery a room or place for surgical operations.
5. Surgery [Brit.] a doctor's or dentist's office or office hours.

• Old French cirurgerie chirurgery
• Middle English surgerie 1250–1300

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

surgery / ˈsɜːdʒərɪ/ noun ( -geries)

1. the branch of medicine concerned with treating disease, injuries, etc, by means of manual or operative procedures, esp by incision into the body
2. the performance of such procedures by a surgeon
3. a place where a doctor, dentist, etc, can be consulted
4. an occasion when an MP, lawyer, etc, is available for consultation
5. an operating theatre where surgical operations are performed

Etymology: 14th Century: via Old French from Latin chirurgia, from Greek kheirurgia, from kheir hand + ergon work