How to Pronounce Excisional Biopsy
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Excisional Biopsy Pronunciation
ek-SIH-zhun-al BY-op-see
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
ek
SIH
stress here
zhun
al BY
op
see
6 syllables
What is Excisional Biopsy?
A surgical procedure in which an entire suspicious lump, lesion, or growth is completely removed (along with a margin of normal tissue) for examination under a microscope to determine whether it is cancerous. It differs from an incisional biopsy, which removes only a portion of the growth.
Questions About Excisional Biopsy
How do you pronounce 'excisional biopsy'?
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Say it like this: ek-SIH-zhun-al BY-op-see. The first part rhymes with 'decision,' and the second part sounds like 'bio' (the prefix meaning life) plus 'opsy' (meaning to see or look at). The stress falls on the second syllable: SIH.
What are the syllables in 'excisional biopsy'?
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Break it into six syllables: ex-CI-sion-al BY-op-sy. The first word (excisional) has four syllables, and the second word (biopsy) has three syllables.
Which syllable do you stress when saying 'excisional biopsy'?
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Stress the second syllable of 'excisional' (SIH) and the first syllable of 'biopsy' (BY). A common mistake is stressing the first syllable of 'excisional' instead—remember, it's ek-SIH-zhun-al, not EK-sih-zhun-al.
What does 'excisional' come from?
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The word 'excisional' comes from the Latin word 'excidere,' which means 'to cut out.' The '-al' at the end means 'relating to' or 'having the quality of.' So 'excisional' means 'relating to cutting something out completely.'
What does 'biopsy' mean?
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'Biopsy' comes from two Greek roots: 'bio' (life) and 'opsy' (to see or look at). It means looking at or examining living tissue under a microscope to understand what is happening in the body.
What's the plain English meaning of 'excisional biopsy'?
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In everyday language, an excisional biopsy means completely removing something suspicious from the body so doctors can examine it closely under a microscope. It's different from taking just a tiny sample—the whole thing gets removed for testing.
How would you use 'excisional biopsy' in a sentence?
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You might hear: 'The doctor recommended an excisional biopsy to fully remove and examine the area.' This shows the word being used to describe a complete removal procedure, not just taking a small piece.
What is the difference between 'excisional' and 'incisional' biopsy?
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'Excisional' means cutting out the ENTIRE suspicious area, while 'incisional' means making a cut to remove only a PART of it. Both words use 'incision' (a cut), but 'excisional' goes all the way through to remove everything, and 'incisional' removes just a piece for testing.

