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amniocentesis definition

am·nio·cen·tesis (am′nē ō′sen tē′sis)

noun

the surgical procedure of inserting a hollow needle through the abdominal wall into the uterus of a pregnant woman and extracting amniotic fluid, which may be analyzed to determine the sex of the developing fetus or the presence of disease, genetic defects, etc.

Etymology: ModL < amnion + Gr kentēsis, a pricking

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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