an operation to paralyse nerve tracts in the spinal chord in order to relieve pain associated with certain conditions
chordotomy in American English
(kɔrˈdɑtəmi)
nounWord forms: plural-mies
cordotomy
Word origin
[chord1 + -o- + -tomy]-o- is the typical ending of the first element of compounds of Greek origin (as -i- is, in compounds of Latin origin), used regularly in forming new compounds with elementsof Greek origin and often used in English as a connective irrespective of etymology(Franco-Italian; geography; seriocomic; speedometer); -tomy is a combining form meaning “cutting, incision” of an organ, “excision” of an object,as specified by the initial element (appendectomy; lithotomy); also occurring in abstract nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -tomous (dichotomy)