incision

English

Etymology

From Middle English inscicioun, from Middle French incision, from Late Latin incisiō from the verb incidō (“I cut into”) + action noun suffix -iō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈsɪʒən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʒən

Noun

incision (countable and uncountable, plural incisions)

1. A cut, especially one made by a scalpel or similar medical tool in the context of surgical operation; the scar resulting from such a cut.
   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled by me;
     Let’s purge this choler without letting blood:
     This we prescribe, though no physician;
     Deep malice makes too deep incision;

   • 1922, Sinclair Lewis, chapter 33, in Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC:

     Gunch was so humorous that Mrs. Babbitt said he must “stop making her laugh because honestly it was hurting her incision.”

   • 1999, Ahdaf Soueif, chapter 28, in The Map of Love, London: Bloomsbury, published 2000, page 470:

     In the midst of the men a black upright stove sends out its heat. On the glowing holes at the top Ya‘qub Artin has carefully placed some chestnuts, each with a neat incision in its side.

2. The act of cutting into a substance.
   • 1539, Thomas Elyot, editor, The Castel of Helthe‎, London, Book 3, Chapter 6:

     The parte of Euacuation by lettyng of blud, is incision or cuttyng of the vayne, wherby the bloud, whiche is cause of syckenes or grefe to the hole body, or any particular part therof, doth most aptly passe.

   • 1649, John Milton, Eikonoklastes‎, London, pages 94–95:

     Never considering […] that these miseries of the people are still his own handy work, having smitt’n them like a forked Arrow so sore into the Kingdoms side, as not to be drawn out and cur’d without the incision of more flesh.

   • 1800, William Hayley, An Essay on Sculpture‎, London: T. Cadell Junior and W. Davies, Epistle 4, page 89:

     Mnesarchus, early as a sculptor known,
     From nice incision of the costly stone,

   • 1964, William Trevor, chapter 21, in The Old Boys, Penguin, published 2014:

     Slowly, as meticulously as if engaged upon a surgical incision, Mr Nox opened his mail.

3. (obsolete) Separation or solution of viscid matter by medicines.
4. (soccer) A cut-back
   • 2021 March 7, David Hytner, “Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run”, in The Guardian‎:

     Riyad Mahrez also dragged wide after a De Bruyne incision.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• inosinic

French

Etymology

First known attestation 1314 in the French translation of Chirurgie by Henri de Mondeville. Learned borrowing from Latin incisiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.si.zjɔ̃/

Noun

incision f (plural incisions)

1. (medicine, general use) incision

Further reading

• “incision”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Middle English

Noun

incision

1. Alternative form of inscicioun