curette

or cu·ret

[ kyoo-ret ]

/ kyʊˈrɛt /

noun

a scoop-shaped surgical instrument for removing tissue from body cavities, as the uterus.

verb (used with object), cu·ret·ted, cu·ret·ting.

to scrape with a curette.

Words nearby curette

curdy, cure, cure-all, curet, curettage, curette, curettement, curfew, curia, curia regis, curia romana

Origin of curette

1745–55; < French, equivalent to cur(er) to cleanse + -ette -ette. See cure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for curette

Callous ulcers are best removed by a curette, knife, or hot iron and then treated like a common wound.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse|United States Department of Agriculture
Operative—scarification, either punctate or linear, and erosion with the curette.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon
In tuberculous cases it is desirable to curette the lower end of the duct after removal of the sac.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
Fragments removed by the curette are subjected to microscopical examination for diagnostic purposes.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various

The curette should not be used on the lateral pharyngeal wall in case the Eustachian orifices and cushions are damaged.
Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities--Head--Neck. Sixth Edition.|Alexander Miles

British Dictionary definitions for curette

curette

curet

/ (kjʊəˈrɛt) /

noun

a surgical instrument for removing dead tissue, growths, etc, from the walls of certain body cavities

verb -rettes, -rets, -retting or -retted

(tr) to scrape or clean with such an instrument

Word Origin for curette

C18: from French, from curer to heal, make clean; see cure

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for curette

curette

n.

A surgical instrument shaped like a scoop or spoon, used to remove tissue or growths from a body cavity.

v.

To scrape tissue or a body part with a curette.