surgical
UK: ˈsɜːdʒɪkəl | US: ˈsɜːrdʒɪkəl
adj. relating to or involving surgery or surgeons
adj. performed with great precision or meticulousness
surgical = surg<cut> + ical<adjective suffix>
- surg (from Latin surgere "to rise, lift," later influenced by chirurgia "surgery," from Greek kheirourgia "hand work")
- ical (adjective-forming suffix, from Latin -icalis, indicating "pertaining to")
Etymology Origin:
The word surgical traces back to Greek kheirourgia ("hand work"), combining kheir (hand) + ergon (work). Over time, Latin adopted it as chirurgia, which evolved into Old French cirurgie. The English surgery emerged from this lineage, with surgical later formed by adding the adjectival suffix -ical. The core idea of "cutting or operating by hand" persists in its modern meaning, now extended metaphorically to describe precision in non-medical contexts.
The patient underwent surgical removal of the tumor.
His approach to problem-solving is almost surgical in its precision.
Surgical gloves must be sterile to prevent infections.
The team made surgical adjustments to the engine for optimal performance.
Advances in surgical techniques have reduced recovery times significantly.