incision

noun

in·​ci·​sion in-ˈsi-zhən 

1

a

: cut, gash

specifically : a wound made especially in surgery by incising the body

b

: a marginal notch (as in a leaf)

2

: an act of incising something

3

: the quality or state of being incisive

Synonyms

• gash
• laceration
• rent
• rip
• slash
• slit
• tear

Examples of incision in a Sentence

the surgeon made a thin incision with the scalpel

Recent Examples on the Web

There are no incisions because the esophagus is accessed by going through the mouth. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2024

About 1 foot from the shoot tip, make a 1 to 2 inch incision along the stem and through a bud to create a wedge; prop the wedge open with a sliver of wood such as a toothpick. —Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024

In laparoscopic surgery, doctors send a tiny camera through a small incision in a patient’s body, and the camera’s view is projected onto a monitor. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 15 Oct. 2024

The surgeons operated eight times in two weeks, filleting open the back of her leg with a two-foot incision from her glute to her calf. —Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

incision

noun

in·​ci·​sion in-ˈsizh-ən 

1

: a cut or gash made in something

especially : a cut made into the body during surgery

removed the diseased appendix through a small incision

2

: an act of cutting into something

watched the surgeon's skillful incision

Medical Definition

incision

noun

in·​ci·​sion in-ˈsizh-ən 

1

: a cut or wound of body tissue made especially in surgery

2

: an act of incising something

the surgeon's incision of the tissues