Dictionary Home »
Webster's New World College Dictionary » amniocentesis
amniocentesis
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.
Comments
Improve this definition.
Browse dictionary definitions near amniocentesis
Share on Facebook