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Definition of Ectopic

Ectopic: In the wrong place. Out of place. An ectopic kidney, for example, is one that is not in the usual location.

The term "ectopic" comes from the Greek "ektopis" meaning "displacement" ("ek", out of + "topos", place = out of place). The first person to use "ectopic" in a medical context was the English obstetrician Robert Barnes (1817-1907) who applied it to an extrauterine pregnancy: an ectopic pregnancy.


Last Editorial Review: 3/26/1998 2:24:00 PM

Common Misspellings: eptopic

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