surgery
B2Formal, Medical, Professional, Everyday (in the context of appointments).
Definition
Meaning
Medical treatment involving cutting open the body or repairing parts, performed by a surgeon.
A time when people can visit a professional (like a doctor, MP, or lawyer) for advice; the room or building where such consultations or medical operations occur.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In British English, 'surgery' commonly refers to a doctor's appointment time or office (doctor's surgery). In American English, this latter meaning is rare; the primary meaning is always the medical operation. It can also metaphorically describe a period of focused work or a political meeting.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'surgery' can mean 1) a medical operation, 2) a doctor's office/clinic (e.g., GP surgery), 3) a fixed time for consultations (e.g., MP's surgery). In the US, 'surgery' almost exclusively means a medical operation; 'doctor's office' or 'clinic' are used instead.
Connotations
In British public life, 'surgery' (for an MP) implies accessibility and constituent service. In the US, the term is clinical and technical.
Frequency
The non-medical meanings are highly frequent in UK contexts but rare in US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
undergo surgery (on NP)perform surgery (on NP)recover from surgeryschedule surgery for NPsurgery to correct/investigate NPVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a trip to the surgery (UK)”
- “under the knife (informal for having an operation)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not typically used, except in 'business surgery' (UK) meaning a short advice session.
Academic
Used in medical and biological sciences to describe procedures.
Everyday
Common in both UK (appointment/office) and US (operation).
Technical
Precise description of surgical procedures (e.g., laparoscopic surgery).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The MP will be surgerising (very rare/informal) her constituents' problems this afternoon.
- The surgeon surgically removed the tumour.
American English
- The team had to surgically remove the device from the machinery.
adverb
British English
- The tumour was removed surgically.
- He addressed the issue surgically, with precise cuts to the budget.
American English
- The procedure was performed surgically.
adjective
British English
- The surgical team was on call.
- He needed surgical intervention.
American English
- The patient is in the surgical ward.
- We need a surgical approach to this problem.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He went to the doctor's surgery for a check-up.
- The surgery on her knee was successful.
- She will undergo surgery next Tuesday to fix her shoulder.
- My local surgery is closed on weekends.
- After the major surgery, he faced a lengthy rehabilitation period.
- The MP holds a weekly surgery to listen to voters' concerns.
- The pioneering robotic surgery allowed for unprecedented precision and a faster recovery.
- The company's financial problems required radical surgery to its outdated business model.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A SURGEON performs SURGERY in a SURGICAL manner.
Conceptual Metaphor
SURGERY IS A REPAIR PROCESS (for the body, an organization, or a system).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'doctor's surgery' (UK) as 'хирургия'. Use 'кабинет врача' or 'поликлиника'.
- The word 'хирургия' in Russian is the medical field, while 'surgery' in English is the specific operation or (UK) the place.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'surgery' for a dentist's appointment (use 'dental appointment').
- Using 'surgery' to mean any medical treatment (it implies an invasive procedure).
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English can 'surgery' refer to a place where a GP sees patients?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are often synonyms for medical procedures, but 'surgery' can also mean the place (UK) or the field of medicine, while 'operation' is only the procedure itself.
Typically no. You visit a 'dentist's office' or have a 'dental procedure'. 'Surgery' is strongly associated with doctors and surgeons.
It can be both. 'She had surgery' (uncountable). 'He has had three surgeries on his back' (countable, especially in US English).
It refers to the specific times when a doctor is available for appointments at their clinic or office.
Collections
Part of a collection
Health and Wellness
B1 · 49 words · Physical and mental health vocabulary.