0 If a tumour (= a growth) or other medical condition is inoperable, doctors are unable to remove or treat it with an operation. --
1 If a system, plan, machine, etc. is inoperable, it cannot be done or made to work. --
2 (of an illness, esp. cancer) that doctors are unable to treat or remove by an operation --
3 not able to be done or made to work: --
Most of the machines were inoperable.
It is not a question of making the closed shop inoperable.
On an earlier occasion when tests were made by the theatre, other equipment, including the sound system, was made inoperable.
This inadequate and inoperable stitch-up of an agreement is so full of holes that a pack of polar bears could rampage through it.
Three experienced surgeons considered her inoperable.
Three children were considered inoperable.
Two patients were considered inoperable.
En bloc microsurgical resection seems to offer an effective treatment outcome in this series of patients, with external beam radiotherapy in reserve for inoperable or incompletely excised tumours.
The patients become cyanosed and inoperable.