From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishamniocentesisam‧ni‧o‧cen‧te‧sis /ˌæmniəʊsenˈtiːsɪs $ -nioʊ-/ noun [uncountable] MHa test to see if an unborn baby has a disease or other problem, done by taking liquid from the mother’s womb
Examples from the Corpus
amniocentesis• So around a fifth had no policy about amniocentesis, although in all cases, tests were available on request.• Although Belinda was 37, she decided against amniocentesis or any other test to detect chromosomal abnormalities.• Coelocentesis: a new technique for early prenatal diagnosis Chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis have disadvantages.• The safety and diagnostic accuracy of early amniocentesis remains to be determined.• There are certain drawbacks to the use of amniocentesis testing which parents should be aware of before proceeding.• For Pat, who is 40, the first half of the pregnancy was completely overshadowed by worry about the amniocentesis.• Faye still has a few more days to consider the amniocentesis.Origin amniocentesis (1900-2000) Modern Latin amnion (AMNIOTIC) + centesis “making a hole” (from Greek, from kentein “to prick”) 