syringe

[ suh-rinj, sir-inj ]

/ səˈrɪndʒ, ˈsɪr ɪndʒ /

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noun

a small device consisting of a glass, metal, or hard rubber tube, narrowed at its outlet, and fitted with either a piston or a rubber bulb for drawing in a quantity of fluid or for ejecting fluid in a stream, for cleaning wounds, injecting fluids into the body, etc.

any similar device for pumping and spraying liquids through a small aperture.

verb (used with object), sy·ringed, sy·ring·ing.

to cleanse, wash, inject, etc., by means of a syringe.

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Origin of syringe

1375–1425; new singular formed from Late Latin sȳringēs, plural of sȳrinxsyrinx; replacing late Middle English syring<Medieval Latin syringa

OTHER WORDS FROM syringe

sy·ringe·ful, adjectiveun·syr·inged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use syringe in a sentence

The injections cost about $1,630 per pack of five syringes and must be self-administered.
In China, ‘Leftover Women’ Get Plastic Surgery|Joanna Chiu|August 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Gorman says she was shocked that “one of their own” would steal narcotics out from under their noses and swap the syringes.
Doctor Accused of Infecting Patients With Hepatitis C Breaks Silence|Carol McKinley|February 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Gorman says she used to keep her loaded syringes in an unlocked drawer in the operating room.
Doctor Accused of Infecting Patients With Hepatitis C Breaks Silence|Carol McKinley|February 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They dropped used syringes in an empty soda can: the Radioactive Coke Can.
Lance Armstrong’s Teammate Tells All: ‘The Secret Race’ By Tyler Hamilton|The Daily Beast|September 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The syringes McNamee suddenly produced in 2009 that he said he “saved” after injecting Clemens?
Free Roger Clemens!|Allen Barra|July 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The prices of the best syringes, sent by mail, postage prepaid, are from $3 50 to $4 00.
Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned by Medical Men, and by Experience in All Ages|William Andrus Alcott
He also procured two hypodermic syringes and a small quantity of Pasteur serums.
The Blind Lion of the Congo|Elliott Whitney
There are many varieties of female syringes now manufactured and sold, some of which are quite worthless.
The Physical Life of Woman:|Dr. George H Napheys
The text describes several kinds of syringes made of silver, porcelain, and copper in various sizes (fig. 16).
Drawings and Pharmacy in Al-Zahrawi's 10th-Century Surgical Treatise|Sami Hamarneh
Boundhalaun, a plant with thick hollow stem with joints, of which boys make rude syringes.
English As We Speak It in Ireland|P. W. Joyce

British Dictionary definitions for syringe

syringe

/ (ˈsɪrɪndʒ, sɪˈrɪndʒ) /

noun

med an instrument, such as a hypodermic syringe or a rubber ball with a slender nozzle, for use in withdrawing or injecting fluids, cleaning wounds, etc

any similar device for injecting, spraying, or extracting liquids by means of pressure or suction

verb

(tr) to cleanse, inject, or spray with a syringe

Word Origin for syringe

C15: from Late Latin, from Latin: syrinx

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

Scientific definitions for syringe

syringe

[ sə-rĭnj′ ]

A medical instrument used to inject fluids into the body or draw them from it. Syringes have several different forms. Bulb syringes are usually made of rubber and work by squeezing the bulb to expel a fluid from it, as in ear irrigation. Needle syringes have hypodermic needles attached to plastic or glass tubes that contain plungers to create force or suction.