Catheter
/ˈkæθɪtər/noun
A tube inserted into the body to drain or deliver fluids.
Did you know?Catheter comes from Greek *kathētḗr*, from *kathíēmi* meaning “to send down” or “let down,” which is why the word originally referred to a “descender,” not a medical tube.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
καθετήρ (kathētḗr)
“a thing sent down; a tube or instrument for letting something down”
Ancient Greek
Greek
καθίημι (kathíēmi)
“to send down, let fall, or discharge”
Late Latin
Latin
catheter
“a tube-like instrument for draining the body”
Middle English
English
catheter
“a medical tube inserted into the body”
Modern English
English
catheter
“a flexible tube used to drain or deliver fluids in the body”