tenaculum

American  

[tuh-nak-yuh-luhm] / təˈnæk yə ləm /

noun

plural

tenacula

1. Surgery. a small sharp-pointed hook set in a handle, used for seizing and picking up parts in operations and dissections.

2. Entomology. a clasplike appendage on the abdomen of a springtail, which holds the springing device in place.

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tenaculum British  

/ tɪˈnækjʊləm /

noun

1. a surgical or dissecting instrument for grasping and holding parts, consisting of a slender hook mounted in a handle

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Etymology

Origin of tenaculum

1685–95; < Latin tenāculum instrument for gripping, equivalent to ten ( ēre ) to hold + -ā- (from v. stems ending in -ā-; see gubernaculum) + -culum -cule ²

Example Sentences

The scans showed that both male and female ratfish begin making a tenaculum early on.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2025

The discovery of teeth on the tenaculum has reopened that debate, prompting researchers to ask how widespread such features might be and what they reveal about the history of vertebrate dentition.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2025

Using a tenaculum, a scissor-like surgical tool, the physician steadies the cervix.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024

“The parts that hurt for some patients — just placing the speculum is uncomfortable — placing the tenaculum is the first part that's not just pressure that can sometimes feel sharp,” Espey told Salon.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024

Any small portions of cartilage remaining after this are sought for with the finger, and carefully removed by means of a scalpel and a tenaculum.

From Diseases of the Horse's Foot by Reeks, Harry Caulton