biopsy
noun
Did you know?
Matter examined in a biopsy is always taken from a living organism. Most biopsies are done by using a needle to extract tissue or fluid, but some may instead require cutting, and others may amount to nothing more than swabbing the inside of the patient's cheek. Biopsies are best known as a means of detecting cancer, but a doctor may also take a biopsy of heart muscle to investigate suspected heart disease, for example, or perform a biopsy on a pregnant woman to test for disorders in the fetus.
Examples of biopsy in a Sentence
Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 11 June 2024
Some will undergo invasive procedures like biopsies, and some will even have parts of their body removed that are feared to be cancerous — even if cancer is never found.
—Sanket S. Dhruva and Rita F. Redberg, STAT, 11 June 2024
Costello said researchers are working to learn more about the relationships between PFAS and the liver through longer studies and those that use imaging and biopsies to see the toxins’ effects.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 11 June 2024
Experts say the test could help eliminate unnecessary biopsies in men who have low-grade cancer.
—Brian Mastroianni, Health, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for biopsy 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biopsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near biopsy
Cite this Entry
“Biopsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biopsy. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
biopsy
noun
Medical Definition
biopsy
1 of 2 noun
biopsy
2 of 2 transitive verb
Share