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Medical Suffixes
-centesis
Commonly seen in procedures like amniocentesis or thoracentesis.
Literal Meaning
Surgical puncture
Actual Meaning
This means DRAINING FLUID with a needle. So "amniocentesis" is taking fluid from around a baby.
Examples in Context

The physician performed a thoracentesis to relieve pleural effusion.

Helpful Tips
  • 1Think of it as centering on a needle's puncture.
  • 2Many terms with -centesis involve draining or extracting.
Phrase Thesaurus
Similar words and synonyms for this phrase
puncture
aspiration
drainage
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