cannula
Americannoun
plural
cannulas, cannulaenoun
Other Word Forms
- cannulation noun
Etymology
Origin of cannula
First recorded in 1675–85; from New Latin, Latin: “small reed,” equivalent to cann(a) “reed, cane” + -ula diminutive suffix; cane, -ule
Compare meaning
How does cannula compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
In medicine, a cannula is a very thin tube that's used to deliver medicine. A patient undergoing surgery will often have a cannula inserted into a vein so that anesthesia can be administered. If you've ever had an IV in a hospital or doctor's office, you've had a cannula, which is nothing more than the flexible tube that fluids or medication flows through. Donating blood or having a blood test involves cannulas as well — in this case, a small amount of blood flows from your vein into the cannula. This is a Latin word that means "small reed or pipe," from canna, "reed or pipe."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During the trial, STC3141 was delivered through an infusion using a cannula.
From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026
It also called on the health service to record parental concerns, review workloads for ambulance crews, and review training around cannula, vascular access insertion, and intravenous therapy.
From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025
She recalls one member, who has since died, who would regularly poll the group about which Band-Aid should cover their cannula tube.
From Slate • Nov. 2, 2024
“I don’t know how long I’ll indefinitely need the oxygen,” she added while gesturing toward her nasal cannula, “but you have no idea how blessed and how grateful I was for this holiday season.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2024
I nod, fixing my nose cannula, the oxygen hissing noisily out.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
