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amniocentesis

Pronunciation: /ˌamnɪəʊsɛnˈtiːsɪs/
Translate amniocentesis | into German
Definition of amniocentesis

noun (plural amniocenteses /-siːz/)

  • a process in which amniotic fluid is sampled using a hollow needle inserted into the uterus, to screen for abnormalities in the developing fetus.

Origin:

1950s: from amnion + Greek kentēsis 'pricking' (from kentein 'to prick')

amniocentesis in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of amniocentesis in the US English dictionary

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