lobotomy

/ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/

//ləˈbɒt.ə.mi// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"lobotomy" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lobotomy” is uncommon English (frequency #55,565 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,565
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lobotomy · lobotomy · English

lobotomy · rank #55,565 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,565
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Livonia

Nearest frequency peer: Livonia (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “lobotomy”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “lobotomy” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for lobotomy
PropertyValue
Headwordlobotomy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#55,565
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “lobotomy” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).lobotomyfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Livonia” (#55,564), “Longworth” (#55,566), “lorimer” (#55,567). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lobotomy” is #55,565. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

lobotomy is uncommon English at frequency #55,565 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for lobotomy, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From lobe + -otomy. The correct English form is lobotomy, spelled L-O-B-O-T-O-M-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses.
  2. 2
    The severing of the prefrontal cortex from the thalamic region of the brain.
  3. 3
    The severing of the sympathetic nerve trunk.
  4. 4
    Separation, removal or deprivation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how lobotomy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. They existed at a time in history when shock therapy, brain tissue manipulation, implants, drug experimentation and lobotomies were treatments de jour.
  2. Yet this conscience is a deep part of the soul; to silence it, characters must perform a kind of moral lobotomy, excising the best parts of themselves, until what is left becomes less than human.

Etymology

From lobe + -otomy.

Synonyms

leucotomy

This word in other languages

lobotomía(Español)lobotomie(Français)Lobotomie(Deutsch)lobotomia(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lobotomy"?
"lobotomy" is spelled L-O-B-O-T-O-M-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/.
What does "lobotomy" mean?
As a noun, "lobotomy" means: A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses.
How do you pronounce "lobotomy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lobotomy" is /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "lobotomy"?
From lobe + -otomy. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "lobotomy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ladylike#55,545marzipan#55,585masterly#55,586masthead#55,588

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list