trephine
/trɪˈfaɪn/
noun
- A surgical instrument with a circular saw-like edge, used to cut a circular hole in the skull or other bone.
- The surgeon used a trephine to create a clean opening in the patient's skull.
- The medical student practiced using a trephine on a synthetic bone model.
- Ancient trephines were made of stone or bronze before metal tools were developed.
verb
- To operate on using a trephine; to cut a circular hole in the skull or bone.
- The doctor decided to trephine the skull to relieve the pressure on the brain.
- The veterinary surgeon had to trephine the horse's hoof to treat an infection.
- In some ancient rituals, healers would trephine the patient to let out what they thought were evil spirits.