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tourniquet

American

[tur-ni-kit, toor-] / ˈtɜr nɪ kɪt, ˈtʊər- /

noun

Medicine/Medical, Surgery. any device for arresting bleeding by forcibly compressing a blood vessel, as a bandage tightened by twisting.
a device for pulling the parts of a wooden piece of furniture together, consisting of a pair of twisted cords passed around the parts.

tourniquet British

/ ˈtʊənɪˌkeɪ, ˈtɔː- /

noun

med any instrument or device for temporarily constricting an artery of the arm or leg to control bleeding

"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

Etymology

Origin of tourniquet

1685–95; < French, derivative of tourner to turn

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.

"Officers applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel," before they were taken to hospital, the statement said, adding that "their conditions are unknown".

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

Jeff Bova, who worked with the production’s transportation department, placed a tourniquet on Sonnier’s leg.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

A passerby used a belt as a tourniquet to stop him from losing too much blood, saving his life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

He has a tourniquet, and a separate medical kit attached to the front of his body armour.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2025

He’s trying to tourniquet the other above the existing knee.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

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