trephine
[ trih-fahyn, -feen ]
/ trɪˈfaɪn, -ˈfin /
noun
a small circular saw with a center pin mounted on a strong hollow metal shaft to which is attached a transverse handle: used in surgery to remove circular disks of bone from the skull.
verb (used with object), tre·phined, tre·phin·ing.
to operate upon with a trephine.
Origin of trephine
1620–30; spelling variant of
trefine, orig.
trafine, blend of
trapan (variant of
trepan1) and Latin phrase
trēs fīnēs three ends (the inventor's explanation)
OTHER WORDS FROM trephine
treph·i·na·tion [tref-uh-ney-shuh n] /ˌtrɛf əˈneɪ ʃən/, nounWords nearby trephine
trento,
trenton,
trepan,
trepang,
trephination,
trephine,
trepid,
trepidant,
trepidatio cordis,
trepidation,
treponema
Example sentences from the Web for trephine
British Dictionary definitions for trephine
trephine
/ (trɪˈfiːn) /
noun
a surgical sawlike instrument for removing circular sections of bone, esp from the skull
verb
(tr)
to remove a circular section of bone from (esp the skull)
Also called:
trepan
Derived forms of trephine
trephination (ˌtrɛfɪˈneɪʃən), nounWord Origin for trephine
C17: from French
tréphine, from obsolete English
trefine
trepan
1, allegedly from Latin
trēs fīnēs literally: three ends; influenced also by English
trepane
trepan
1
Medical definitions for trephine
trephine
[ trĭ-fīn′ ]
n.
A cylindrical or crown saw for the removal of a disk of bone, especially from the skull, or removal of other firm tissue such as that of the cornea.
v.
To operate on with a trephine.