surgery
gb/sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/ us/sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/
B1
English
~ 2900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
action
1
Medical operation on the body
A medical treatment where a doctor cuts into the body to fix or remove something.
Usage pattern:
to have [surgery] on [body part]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'surgery' with 'surgeon'. 'Surgery' is the procedure; 'surgeon' is the doctor who performs it.
Synonyms
operation (The most common everyday synonym; interchangeable in most contexts.)
Antonyms
noninvasive treatment (Refers to treatments that do not require cutting into the body.)
Collocations
major surgery
|minor surgery
|emergency surgery
|cosmetic surgery
|undergo surgery
Themes
medicine
|health
|hospital
|science
Examples
- She had surgery to remove her appendix.
- The patient is recovering well after heart surgery.
- Advances in technology have made brain surgery safer.
- He needs knee surgery after the sports injury.
Learner examples
- I had surgery on my leg.
- She will have eye surgery next week.
- The doctor did the surgery yesterday.
- He needs surgery to fix his arm.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Doctor's or dentist's office (esp. UK)
A place where you go to see a doctor or dentist.
Usage pattern:
at the [surgery]
Common mistake:
In American English, 'surgery' is not used for this meaning; learners may confuse it with 'clinic' or 'doctor's office'.
Synonyms
clinic (Often refers to a larger or more specialized facility.)
Antonyms
hospital ward (A hospital area where patients stay overnight, not a consultation room.)
Collocations
doctor's surgery
|dental surgery
|go to the surgery
Themes
medicine
|health
|places
|daily_life
Examples
- Please make an appointment at the doctor's surgery.
- The dental surgery is open from 9 to 5.
- She works as a receptionist at a local surgery.
Learner examples
- I went to the surgery to see my doctor.
- The surgery is near my house.
- I called the surgery to make an appointment.
Grammar
Dictionary form
surgery
IPA
GB/sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/
US/sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/
Syllables & stress
sur - gery (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sur)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: surgery
- Plural: surgeries, surgery
Word family
Expressions
perform surgery
1/pɚfˈɔɹm sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
Carry out a medical operation
For a doctor to do a medical operation on someone.
Examples
- The surgeon performed surgery on the patient's heart.
- Only trained doctors can perform surgery.
recover from surgery
1/ɹɪkˈʌvɚ fɹˈʌm sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
Get better after operation
To become healthy again after having an operation.
Examples
- She is recovering from surgery at home.
- It may take weeks to recover from surgery.
undergo surgery
1/ˌʌndɚɡˈoʊ sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
have a surgical operation
To have a medical operation where a doctor cuts the body to treat a problem.
Examples
- He will undergo surgery on his back tomorrow.
- He had to undergo surgery after breaking his leg.
- She underwent surgery after the accident.
- Many heart patients undergo surgery to improve blood flow.