trephine

trephine [trih-fahyn, -feen]Surgery Word Origin 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.

verb (used with object), tre·phined, tre·phin·ing.

2. to operate upon with a trephine.

Origin of trephine 1620–30; spelling variant of trefine, orig. trafine, blend of trapan (variant of trepan1) and Latin phrase trēs fīnēs three ends (the inventor’s explanation)Related formstreph·i·na·tion [tref-uh-ney-shuh n] /ˌtrɛf əˈneɪ ʃən/, noun British Dictionary definitions for trephination trephine noun

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

verb

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

Also called: trepan Derived Formstrephination (ˌtrɛfɪˈneɪʃən), nounWord Origin for trephine C17: from French tréphine, from obsolete English trefine trepan 1, allegedly from Latin trēs fīnēs literally: three ends; influenced also by English trepane trepan 1 Word Origin and History for trephination n.

1874, from trephine (v.), 1804, from trephine (n.), 1620s, said to be from Latin tres fines “three ends,” with form apparently influenced by trepan. Related: Trephining.

trephination in Medicine trephination [trĕf′ə-nā′shən] n.

1. Removal of a circular piece of bone, especially of the skull, by a trephine.trepanation

trephine [trĭ-fīn′] n.

1. A cylindrical or crown saw for the removal of a disk of bone, especially from the skull, or removal of other firm tissue such as that of the cornea.

v.

1. To operate on with a trephine.