excise
ik-SYZ
/ɪkˈsaɪz/
To cut out or surgically remove tissue, a lesion, or an organ completely.
Implies total removal of a specific target lesion or tissue mass with a cutting instrument.
The story behind the word. From Latin excidere, combining ex- (out) and caedere (to cut). Used in surgery to describe taking an unwanted mass out by blade.
Word relationships
- resect: Resect implies cutting out a segment of an organ, whereas excise implies cutting out a discrete tissue mass.
- extirpate: Extirpate carries a connotation of rooting out completely or destroying.
- implant: Implant means inserting material into tissue, opposite to excision.
- graft: Grafting attaches new tissue onto a site.
Commonly confused with
- incise: To incise means to cut into tissue, whereas to excise means to cut tissue entirely out.
Word family
- excision (noun): The act of cutting out tissue.
- excisional (adjective): Relating to surgical removal.
Collocations
- excise tissue
- excise a tumor
- completely excise
- surgically excise
Example sentences
- "The dermatologist decided to excise the suspicious skin lesion with clear margins." Dermatology surgical procedure
- "Surgeons worked carefully to excise the primary tumor without damaging adjacent nerves." Surgical oncology operation
Memory hook
EX (out) + CISE (cut) = CUT OUT. Cut completely out.
When not to use
Do not confuse with the noun 'excise' (a government tax on goods).
Fun facts
- Excisional biopsies cut out an entire lesion, acting as both diagnostic test and curative treatment simultaneously.
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