fleam
Americannoun
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Surgery. a kind of lancet, as for opening veins.
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the beveled leading edge of a sawtooth.
noun
Etymology
Origin of fleam
1375–1425; late Middle English fleme, fleom < Middle French flieme ≪ Late Latin phlebotomus, < Greek phlebotómon; see phlebo-, tome
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.
A piece of hard wood loaded at one end with lead, and used to strike the fleam into the vein.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster
With a large fleam that he possessed, he twice bled the Andalusian, to the astonishment of the discomfited farrier, and saved its valuable life, also an ounce of gold.
From The Life of George Borrow by Herbert George Jenkins
From the earliest examples of the fleam, such as the specimen found at Pompeii, this instrument has been associated with the veterinarian.
From Bloodletting Instruments in the National Museum of History and Technology by Toby Appel
Obviously the fleam makes the points weak, but this in coarse saws may be partially remedied by shaping the teeth as in Fig.
From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Joshua Rose
The operation is performed by three old women, two to hold the patient, and the third to use the fleam.
From The Fijians A Study of the Decay of Custom by Basil Thomson
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.
