/ kəˈlɒstəmi; NAmE kəˈlɑːs-/ noun
( pl. -ies ) ( medical ) an operation in which part of a person's colon (= the lower part of the bowels ) is removed and an opening is made in the abdomen through which the person can get rid of waste matter from the body
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WORD ORIGIN
late 19th cent.: from colon (the main part of the large intestine) + Greek stoma mouth.