'antrectomy' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'antron' and 'ektomē', where 'antron' meant 'cave' or 'cavity' (used anatomically as 'antrum') and 'ektomē' meant 'excision'.

'antron' passed into Latin as 'antrum', and combined with the Greek-derived suffix '-ectomy' (from 'ektomē') to form the modern English surgical term 'antrectomy'.

Initially it meant 'excision of a cavity', but over time it became specialized to mean 'excision of the gastric antrum'.