noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:N UH2 R OW0 S ER1 JH ER0 IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The surgical discipline focused on treating those central and peripheral nervous system diseases.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: medicine, neurology, neuroscience, sciences, surgery
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any surgical procedure performed on the nervous system, especially the brain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Topics: medicine, neurology, neuroscience, sciences, surgery
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
any surgery that involves the nervous system (brain or spinal cord or peripheral nerves)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: operation, surgery, surgical operation, surgical procedure, surgical process
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh1- Proto-Indo-European *-wr̥ Proto-Indo-European *snéh1wr̥der. Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron) Ancient Greek νευρο- (neuro-)der. English neuro- Proto-Indo-European *ǵhes- Proto-Indo-European *-ōr Proto-Indo-European *ǵhésōr Proto-Hellenic *khéhər Ancient Greek χείρ (kheír) Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom Proto-Hellenic *wérgon Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon) Ancient Greek -ουργός (-ourgós) Ancient Greek χειρουργός (kheirourgós) Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1yeti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Ancient Greek -έω (-éō) Ancient Greek χειρουργέω (kheirourgéō) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh2 Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek χειρουργίᾱ̆ (kheirourgíā̆)bor. Latin chīrūrgiader. Old French surgie Old French surgeriebor. Middle English surgerie English surgery English neurosurgery From neuro- + surgery.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
neurocirurgia
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Dutch:
neurochirurgie
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Finnish:
hermokirurgia
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
French:
neurochirurgie
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Georgian:
ნეიროქირურგია
(neirokirurgia)
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
German:
Neurochirurgie
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Hungarian:
idegsebészet
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Irish:
néar-mháinliacht
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Portuguese:
neurocirurgia
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Russian:
нейрохирурги́я
(nejroxirurgíja)
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Spanish:
neurocirugía
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Tajik:
асабҷарроҳӣ
(asabjarrohi)
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Vietnamese:
phẫu thuật thần kinh
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Vietnamese:
ngoại thần kinh
— surgical discipline focused on treating the nervous systems
Catalan:
neurocirurgia
— surgery of the brain
Finnish:
neurokirurgia
— surgery of the brain
French:
neurochirurgie
— surgery of the brain
Georgian:
ნეიროქირურგიული ოპერაცია
(neirokirurgiuli oṗeracia)
— surgery of the brain
German:
Hirnchirurgie
— surgery of the brain
Irish:
néar-mháinliacht
— surgery of the brain
Portuguese:
neurocirurgia
— surgery of the brain
Russian:
нейрохирурги́я
(nejroxirurgíja)
— surgery of the brain