Definition

A tool used in surgery to remove circular pieces of bone, often from the skull.

Example

The surgeon used a trephine to access the patient's brain.

Conversation

I was reading about different surgical tools, and I came across the trephine.

Oh really? What does it do?

It's used to cut out circular sections of bone, especially from the skull.

That sounds intense! I can't believe how specialized some tools can be.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

To perform a surgical operation using a tool that removes a circular piece of bone or tissue.

Example

The surgeon had to trephine the skull to relieve pressure on the brain.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Did you hear about the surgery he had last week?

Yeah, I heard they had to trephine to relieve some pressure.

That sounds intense; I can't believe they did that!

Root Explanation

Trephine comes from the Greek word "trēpanon" (meaning a borer or drill) and the suffix "-ine" (indicating a relationship or pertaining to). The word refers to a surgical instrument used to bore or drill into the skull.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tool that 'drills' ('trēpanon') into the skull, which helps you remember that a trephine is a surgical instrument for that purpose.

Visually Confused Words