1. an act of cutting.
2. a cut surface.
3. a segment or subdivision of an organ.
- abdominal s. — laparotomy; incision of the abdominal wall.
- cesarean s. — delivery of a fetus by incision through the abdominal wall and uterus; see also cesarean section.
- frontal s. — a section through the body passing at right angles to the median plane, dividing the body into dorsal and ventral parts.
- frozen s. — a specimen cut by microtome from tissue that has been frozen; see also frozen section.
- perineal s. — external urethrotomy.
- sagittal s. — a section through the body coinciding with the sagittal suture, thus dividing the body into right and left halves.
- serial s's — histological sections of a specimen made in consecutive order and so arranged for the purpose of microscopic examination.
- trial s. — the gradual transverse cutting of a tissue or structure, usually to ascertain its composition or to limit the incision to only one component, e.g. scar tissue surrounding a nerve.
