trephine

[ trih-fahyn, -feen ]

noun

1. 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.

1. to operate upon with a trephine.

trephine

/ trɪˈfiːn; ˌtrɛfɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. a surgical sawlike instrument for removing circular sections of bone, esp from the skull

verb

1. tr to remove a circular section of bone from (esp the skull)

Derived Forms

• trephination, noun

Other Words From

• treph·i·na·tion [tref-, uh, -, ney, -sh, uh, n], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of trephine¹

1620–30; spelling variant of trefine, originally trafine, blend of trapan (variant of trepan ¹ ) and Latin phrase trēs fīnēs three ends (the inventor's explanation)

Word History and Origins

Origin of trephine¹

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

Example Sentences

Instead of chisels and mallets to open a skull, Cushing carefully drilled holes with a hand trephine, a cousin of the wooden-handle corkscrew.

From Salon

We aspirated all brain tissue inside the trephine.

From Nature

Had been trephined in right parietal region before coming under our observation.

From Project Gutenberg

With his hands full of chisels, trephines, and mallets Marcy went to cross the room, and chanced to trip on a rug, falling headlong.

From Project Gutenberg

The little animal lies on the table insensible, chloroformed, while with the sharp-toothed little trephine the operator makes a tiny hole in its skull, lays bare the brain, and inserts the virus.

From Project Gutenberg