operating-room
UK[ˈɒpəreɪtɪŋ ruːm]US[ˈɑːpəreɪtɪŋ ruːm]
n
A room in a hospital where surgical operations are performed.
Morpheme Breakdown
operat
ing
room
operat
e) (to work
ing
adjective suffix
room
a space
Etymology
The term is a transparent compound, formed in Modern English to describe a specific functional space. The first element derives from the Latin verb 'operari', meaning "to work", which evolved into the English verb 'operate', acquiring the specialized medical sense of performing surgery. The suffix '-ing' turns the action into an attributive adjective describing the room's purpose. The second element, 'room', is a native English word for an enclosed space. Thus, the compound's literal logic is "a room for performing surgical work", which maps directly to its modern, specialized meaning in a hospital context.
Analysis
Structure: operat(e) (to work) + ing (adjective suffix) + room (a space)
operat(e): From Latin 'operari' (to work, toil). In this compound, it functions as the verbal root meaning "to perform surgery".
ing: A suffix of Old English origin, used here to form the present participle/adjective from the verb 'operate', indicating the room's purpose.
room: From Old English 'rūm' (space, extent). It functions as the head noun, specifying the type of space.
Examples
The patient was wheeled into the sterile operating-room.
Only authorized personnel are allowed in the operating-room during surgery.
The new hospital wing features ten state-of-the-art operating-rooms.