ob-gyn
UK[ˌəʊ biː ˈdʒiː waɪ ˈen]US[ˌoʊ biː ˈdʒiː waɪ ˈen]
n
A medical doctor who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology
n
The medical specialty or department concerned with obstetrics and gynecology
Morpheme Breakdown
ob
gyn
ob
obstetrics
gyn
gynecology
Etymology
The term 'ob-gyn' is a modern American English portmanteau, formed by clipping and combining the initial syllables of two distinct but closely related medical specialties. 'Ob' derives from 'obstetrics', the branch of medicine dealing with childbirth, which traces back to the Latin 'obstetrix' for midwife, literally 'one who stands before' to assist. 'Gyn' derives from 'gynecology', the study of the female reproductive system, from the Greek 'gynē' meaning woman. The fusion of these clipped forms into a single term reflects the common integration of these two fields in modern medical practice, where a single practitioner typically provides both obstetric and gynecological care.
Analysis
Structure: ob (obstetrics) + gyn (gynecology)
- ob: A clipped form of 'obstetrics', from Latin 'obstetrix' (midwife), from 'obstare' (to stand before, assist).
- gyn: A clipped form of 'gynecology', from Greek 'gynē' (woman) + '-logia' (study of).
Examples
She scheduled her annual appointment with her ob-gyn.
He decided to specialize in ob-gyn after his medical rotations.
The hospital is expanding its ob-gyn department to meet community needs.