biopsy
noun
bi·op·sy
ˈbī-ˌäp-sē 
plural biopsies
: the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body
biopsy
transitive verb
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Doctors there found a nasty infection at the site of a recent biopsy.
—
Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
When radiologists were able to review DOT measurements, biopsies of benign lumps decreased by approximately 25%.
—Quing Zhu, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
Current tests for endometrial cancer often rely on procedures like transvaginal ultrasound and tissue biopsy to evaluate the uterine lining, methods that some women find stressfully uncomfortable.
—Dr. Chidimma J. Acholonu, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The slides were made from routine biopsy samples of 18 tissue types donated by 919 individuals.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for biopsy
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Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
When radiologists were able to review DOT measurements, biopsies of benign lumps decreased by approximately 25%.
—Quing Zhu, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
Current tests for endometrial cancer often rely on procedures like transvaginal ultrasound and tissue biopsy to evaluate the uterine lining, methods that some women find stressfully uncomfortable.
—Dr. Chidimma J. Acholonu, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The slides were made from routine biopsy samples of 18 tissue types donated by 919 individuals.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for biopsy
Cite this Entry
“Biopsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biopsy. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
biopsy
noun
bi·op·sy
ˈbī-ˌäp-sē
plural biopsies
: the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body
Medical Definition
biopsy
1 of 2 noun
bi·op·sy
ˈbī-ˌäp-sē
plural biopsies
: the removal and examination of tissue, cells, or fluids from the living body
biopsy
2 of 2 transitive verb
biopsied; biopsying
: to perform a biopsy on
the intestinal polyps were removed and biopsied
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