Skip to content

extirpar

to remove surgically

verb ehs-teer-PAHR Rare
Body & Health Medicine

Origin: From Latin exstirpare ('to pull out by the roots'), from stirps ('root, stock').

Also means

to eradicate

Usage Note

Extirpar is a regular -ar verb used primarily in medical contexts to mean the surgical removal of tissue or an organ (extirpar un tumor). In figurative language it means 'to eradicate' or 'to stamp out' (extirpar la corrupción). The related noun is extirpación (f). It is more clinical than quitar or eliminar, which are neutral everyday verbs.

Examples

"El cirujano logró extirpar el tumor por completo."

Natural Translation

The surgeon managed to remove the tumour completely.

Explore Spanish by topic