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Lobotomize: meaning, definitions and examples

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lobotomize

 

[ ləˈbɒtəmaɪz ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

medical procedure

Lobotomize refers to a surgical procedure that involves cutting or removing portions of the brain's frontal lobes, historically used to treat various mental disorders. This technique was widely employed in the mid-20th century but has fallen out of favor due to ethical concerns and advancements in psychiatric treatment options.

Synonyms

lobotomy, neuroleptic treatment

Examples of usage

  • The patient was lobotomized to alleviate severe depression.
  • Doctors lobotomized individuals in hopes of curing schizophrenia.
  • Many mental health professionals now oppose lobotomizing as a treatment.
  • Lobotomizing was once a common practice for extreme cases.

Translations

Translations of the word "lobotomize" in other languages:

🇵🇹 lobotomizar

🇮🇳 लोबोटोमाइज़ करना

🇩🇪 Lobotomisieren

🇮🇩 lobotomisasi

🇺🇦 лоботомізувати

🇵🇱 lobotomizować

🇯🇵 ロボトミーする

🇫🇷 lobotomiser

🇪🇸 lobotomizar

🇹🇷 lobotomi yapmak

🇰🇷 로보토미를 하다

🇸🇦 إجراء عملية لوبوتومي

🇨🇿 lobotomizovat

🇸🇰 lobotomizovať

🇨🇳 进行脑叶切除

🇸🇮 lobotomizirati

🇮🇸 lobotomy

🇰🇿 лоботомия жасау

🇬🇪 ლაბოტომია ჩატარება

🇦🇿 lobotomiya etmək

🇲🇽 lobotomizar

Etymology

The term 'lobotomize' is derived from 'lobotomy', a procedure that gained prominence in the early 20th century. The word itself comes from the Greek 'lobos', meaning 'lobe', and 'tomia', meaning 'cutting'. The first successful lobotomy was performed in the 1930s by Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz, who believed that severing connections in the brain could alleviate symptoms of mental illness. The term 'lobotomy' and its verb form 'lobotomize' became more widely known during the 1940s and 1950s, as lobotomies were performed on thousands of patients worldwide. However, the practice began to decline in the late 20th century as psychiatric medicine advanced and concerns over the ethics and effectiveness of lobotomies grew. Today, lobotomization is largely regarded as inhumane and is rarely performed, with a focus instead on more humane treatments for mental health issues.