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to trephine

to trephine

9.9
To cut a round piece of bone from the skull with a surgical tool
  • verb
  • /trəˈfaɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : trepanar
  • In the operating room, the doctor skillfully trephined the bone to access the area below.

Examples

  • The surgeon will trephine the patient's skull to relieve pressure on the brain.

  • Mose could trephine Whitney in a very special episode.

    Blog text (25)
  • During the procedure, they had to trephine the skull to perform a crucial brain surgery.

Synonyms

to trepan
vsto trephine
  • Specialized
9.9

To cut a round hole in the skull during surgery

describes removing a circular piece of bone specifically as a surgical procedure

How Invasive

to trephine
  • Specialized
9.9
to drill
170 2.2

Surface Forms

trephine infinitive
trephined past
trephined past participle
trephining present participle
trephines third person singular

Etymology

Trephine (verb) comes from the same Greek root trypanon meaning 'to bore', so to trephine is to use a trephine to cut out a round piece of bone, often in the skull to reach or relieve the area beneath.