scalpel

noun

1. a small, light, usually straight knife used in surgical and anatomical operations and dissections.

noun

1. a surgical knife with a short thin blade

n.1742, from Latin scalpellum “a surgical knife,” diminutive of scalprum “knife, chisel, tool for scraping or cutting,” from scalpere “to carve, cut,” related to sculpere “to carve,” from PIE root *(s)kel- “to cut, cleave” (see scale (n.1)). n.

1. A small straight knife with a thin sharp blade used in surgery and dissection.