ectopy
|ec-to-py|
/ˈɛktəpi/
out of place
Etymology
'ectopy' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ektopos', where 'ek-' meant 'out' and 'topos' meant 'place'.
'ectopy' changed from the New Latin word 'ectopia' (used in medical Latin) and was adopted into English medical usage as 'ectopy' in the 19th–20th century.
Initially it meant 'the state of being out of place', and over time it became specialized in medical contexts to refer to displaced organs or abnormal (ectopic) heartbeats.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a condition in which an organ or tissue is located away from its normal anatomical position (displacement or abnormal location).
The ultrasound revealed ectopy of the thyroid gland below the hyoid bone.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/22 19:58