scalpel
Americannoun
-
scalpels
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of scalpel
1735–45; < Latin scalpellum, diminutive of scalprum tool for scraping or paring (derivative of scalpere to scratch); for formation see castellum
Explanation
A scalpel is a special kind of knife used by doctors, particularly surgeons. Scalpels are small, lightweight, and have a fine, sharp blade. Most scalpels used in surgery have extremely sharp, removable blades that can be replaced. When a surgeon uses a scalpel, she holds it using either the "dinner knife" grip, for large incisions, or the "pencil" grip, for smaller cuts. A medical student dissecting an animal also uses a scalpel, and in some cases artists use them for making fine cuts. In Latin, a scalpellum is a "surgical knife," from scalpere, "to carve."
Vocabulary lists containing scalpel
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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.
See Examples For:
With AI, hyperscale customers who know exactly what they want can use Tan’s ASICs as a scalpel, rather than turn to the Swiss Army knife of Nvidia’s general-purpose chips.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
Formula 1 bosses will use "a scalpel rather than a baseball bat" in making changes to the sport's rules at a meeting on Monday, says Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
But grab a scalpel and cut 10 minutes out of it and “The Bride!” would be a rip-roaring dazzler.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
Akutagawa, recalled Kurosawa in his memoir, “goes into the depths of the human heart as if with a surgeon’s scalpel, laying bare its dark complexities and bizarre twists.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
I find the scalpel in her medipak and cut the bandage in two.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
On any given day, suitcases contain supplies that would accommodate a hospital operating room, including scalpels, needles and IV bags.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Excess fluid pressure buildup in the eye is a risk factor; it’s treated with medication, or lasers or scalpels that eventually relieve the pressure.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 18, 2024
Aid workers told the senators the tents were refused because they included metal poles, and the medical kits because they included scalpels.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2024
That would cover not just medication but any item used in a surgical abortion, such as gloves or scalpels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
In angry weariness he opened the wall cabinet and collected scalpels and clamps, sponges and tubes of sutures, to put in his bag.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
