lipo

IPA/ˈlɪp.əʊˌsʌk.ʃən/
IPA/ˈlaɪ.poʊˌsʌk.ʃən/

lipo — noun

1. a cosmetic medical procedure that removes excess fat from a specific part of the

1.nounB2
Definition

a cosmetic medical procedure that removes excess fat from a specific part of the body by sucking it out through a thin tube inserted under the skin

Example

Noor decided to have lipo on her stomach after losing a lot of weight.

collocation: have lipo on [body part]

The price of lipo varies a lot from one clinic to another.

Common collocations
  • have lipo
  • get lipo
  • lipo on [body part]
  • lipo surgery
Synonyms

Usage Note

Used mainly in conversational or advertising contexts; the full medical term liposuction appears in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

I need lipo because I am overweight.
Lipo is for body reshaping, not for general weight loss.
Lipo targets specific fat deposits; it does not treat obesity.

lipo — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lipo is an informal clipped form of liposuction and appears mostly in casual conversation, advertisements, or news headlines. Liposuction is the full medical term used in clinical reports, consent forms, and formal writing. Fat removal surgery is a broader term that includes various procedures such as abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and excision, not just suction-based methods. Use lipo for informal or conversational contexts, liposuction for medical accuracy, and fat removal surgery when you need to group multiple surgical techniques. For example: 'I am thinking about getting lipo on my chin' (casual) vs. 'The patient underwent liposuction of the submental area' (medical report).

lipo ↗liposuction ↗fat removal surgery

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • have lipo
  • get lipo
  • lipo on
  • be lipoed

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Lipo is a shortened form of liposuction, which was coined in the 1980s from the Greek lipos ('fat') and the Latin suctio ('a sucking'). The clipped form lipo appeared shortly after the procedure became popular in the 1990s.

First known use

1987

1987, in the meaning defined above Verb