/ləʊˈtɒmi/ LOH-toh-mee

Definitions

1. noun

a surgical procedure in which part of the brain is removed or destroyed, typically to relieve severe mental illness, now largely obsolete

“The patient underwent a lobotomy to alleviate her severe depression.”

2. noun

a drastic or extreme solution to a problem, often considered radical

“The company’s decision to fire half of its employees was a kind of lobotomy for the industry.”