trephine

American  

[trih-fahyn, -feen] / trɪˈfaɪn, -ˈfin /

noun

1. a small circular saw with a center pin mounted on a strong hollow metal shaft to which is attached a transverse handle: used in surgery to remove circular disks of bone from the skull.

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verb (used with object)

trephined, trephining

1. to operate upon with a trephine.

trephine British  

/ trɪˈfiːn, ˌtrɛfɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. a surgical sawlike instrument for removing circular sections of bone, esp from the skull

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verb

1. (tr) to remove a circular section of bone from (esp the skull)

Other Word Forms

• trephination noun

Etymology

Origin of trephine

1620–30; spelling variant of trefine, originally trafine, blend of trapan (variant of trepan ¹ ) and Latin phrase trēs fīnēs three ends (the inventor's explanation)

Example Sentences

Instead of chisels and mallets to open a skull, Cushing carefully drilled holes with a hand trephine, a cousin of the wooden-handle corkscrew.

From Salon

We aspirated all brain tissue inside the trephine.

From Nature

Had been trephined in right parietal region before coming under our observation.

From Project Gutenberg

With his hands full of chisels, trephines, and mallets Marcy went to cross the room, and chanced to trip on a rug, falling headlong.

From Project Gutenberg

Accordingly a trephining was done, and these adhesions, real or supposed, were broken up.

From Project Gutenberg