If a pregnant woman has an amniocentesis, fluid is removed from her womb in order to check that her unborn baby is not affected by certain genetic disorders.
amniocentesis in British English
(ˌæmnɪəʊsɛnˈtiːsɪs)
nounWord forms: plural-ses (-siːz)
removal of some amniotic fluid by the insertion into the womb of a hollow needle, for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes
Word origin
C20: from amnion + centesis, from Greek kentēsis a puncture, from kentein to prick
amniocentesis in American English
(ˌæmniˌoʊsɛnˈtisɪs)
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.