cannulate

British  

verb

1. to insert a cannula into

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adjective

1. shaped like a cannula

Other Word Forms

• cannulation noun

Explanation

When a doctor cannulates a patient, she inserts a very thin tube into the patient's body. A common reason a doctor might cannulate someone is to give them I.V. fluids. If you've ever had medication administered intravenously — in other words, directly into a vein — your doctor or nurse had to cannulate you first. The extremely tiny tube used in medicine for I.V. drugs or drawing out blood or other fluid is called a cannula, a word that means "small reed or pipe" in Latin.