Incision
ɪnˈsɪʒən
Definitions
2 meaningsA cut or wound made during a surgical procedure, or a sharp, decisive action.
ɪnˈsɪʒən
A cut made in the skin or flesh.
The doctor made a small incision to insert the catheter.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing doctor with a doll, and you need to open up its tummy to see what's inside. An incision is that precise cut a real doctor makes to look inside a person's body. It's like opening a package carefully!
👶 For kids: A cut that a doctor makes to help someone feel better.
More Examples
The surgeon carefully closed the incision with stitches.
The incision healed quickly, leaving only a faint scar.
How It's Used
"The surgeon made a precise incision to remove the appendix."
"The surgical team prepared the patient for the incision."
"The sharp criticism made an incision in his confidence."
A sharp, decisive action or remark.
ɪnˈsɪʒən
A sharp or decisive action or remark.
The editor's critique made a deep incision into the author's manuscript.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, words can feel like a cut, right? Like, when someone says something that really gets to the heart of a problem, that's an 'incision' in a way! It's like cutting straight to the truth.
👶 For kids: Words that act like a cut.
More Examples
His harsh comments made an incision in their relationship.
How It's Used
"Her sharp words made an incision into his argument."
Idioms & expressions
make an incision
To create a cut, especially surgically.
"The surgeon made a precise incision to remove the tumor."
surgical incision
A cut made during a surgical procedure.
"The surgical incision was carefully stitched closed."
From Latin *incīsiō* ('a cutting into'), from the verb *incīdere* ('to cut into'), from *in-* ('in') + *caedere* ('to cut').
The word 'incision' has been used in medical texts since the 16th century, describing surgical procedures. It has also been used more broadly to describe sharp actions or remarks in literature for centuries.
Memory tip
Think of 'in' as going 'into' the skin, and 'cise' as 'cut'. An incision is a cut *into* the skin.
Word Origin
"to cut into"