Phrase guide

operating theatre

noun · 2 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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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A room in a hospital used for performing surgery (originally designed for operations in front of observers).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: operating room, OT

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a room in a hospital equipped for the performance of surgical operations

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • great care is taken to keep the operating rooms aseptic

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: operating room, OR, operating theater, surgery

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hospital room

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: операционна — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Chinese Mandarin: 手術室 /手术室 (shǒushùshì) — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Danish: operationsstue — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Finnish: leikkaussali — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • German: Operationssaal — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Irish: obrádlann — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Pannonian Rusyn: операцийна сала (operacijna sala) — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Persian: اتاق عمل (otâq-e 'amal) — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Polish: sala operacyjna — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Spanish: quirófano — room in a hospital used for performing surgery
  • Swahili: thieta — room in a hospital used for performing surgery