orchiectomy

noun

or·​chi·​ec·​to·​my ˌȯr-kē-ˈek-tə-mē How to pronounce orchiectomy (audio)
plural orchiectomies
: surgical removal of one or both testes

Examples of orchiectomy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That leads to denials when, say, a doctor seeks reimbursement for a transgender woman's orchiectomy. — CNN, 31 May 2018 But even with a private nurse, my father soon developed bedsores, and then suffered the agony of an orchiectomy to remove gangrenous testicles. — Lynn Freed, Harper's magazine, 10 Mar. 2019 Hate is something any human being can come by naturally; no involuntary orchiectomy is required. — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024 Now, Jane's facial feminization surgery and orchiectomy (surgery to remove testicles) have been canceled until further notice. — Li Cohen, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2020 Androgen Synthesis Inhibitor If an LHRH agonist, LHRH antagonist, or orchiectomy is also no longer effective, the androgen synthesis inhibitor Zytiga (abiraterone) can be added. — Matthew Wosnitzer, Verywell Health, 12 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek órchis "testicle" + -ectomy — more at orchis

First Known Use

circa 1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of orchiectomy was circa 1894

Rhymes for orchiectomy

See All Rhymes for orchiectomy

Browse Nearby Words

orchid tree
orchiectomy
orchilla weed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Orchiectomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orchiectomy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

orchiectomy

noun
or·​chi·​ec·​to·​my ˌȯr-kē-ˈek-tə-mē How to pronounce orchiectomy (audio)
variants also orchectomy
ȯr-ˈkek-tə-mē How to pronounce orchiectomy (audio)
plural orchiectomies
: surgical excision of a testis or of both testes

called also orchidectomy

More from Merriam-Webster on orchiectomy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about orchiectomy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All