leucotome

American

[loo-kuh-tohm] / ˈlu kəˌtoʊm /

noun

Surgery.

an instrument for dissecting the white matter of the brain, consisting of a cannula containing a slender rotating blade.

Etymology

Origin of leucotome

First recorded in 1935–40; leuco- + -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.

The leucotome is rotated through one complete circle, cutting a sphere or core of white matter in the pre-frontal area about ten millimetres in diameter.

From Time Magazine Archive

The bur holes permit passage of a leucotome, or lobotomy cannula, a hollow needle through which a loop of wire can be slipped.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023