trephine

American  

[trih-fahyn, -feen] / trɪˈfaɪn, -ˈfin /

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.

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verb (used with object)

trephined, trephining

1. to operate upon with a trephine.

trephine British  

/ trɪˈfiːn, ˌtrɛfɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• trephination
  noun

Etymology

Origin of trephine

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)

Example Sentences

Solomon Mulekya was looking for his daughter, Trephine Kaghuo.

From Reuters • Jun. 20, 2023

Trephine, tre-fēn′, or tre-fīn′, n. the modern trepan, having a little sharp borer called the centre-pin.—v.t. to perforate with the trephine.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various