Lancet
/ˈlænsɪt/noun
A small, sharply pointed surgical knife or a narrow, pointed arch window.
Did you know?Lancet comes through Old French from Latin *lancea*, a spear or light throwing lance, so its modern medical meaning still carries the shape of a weapon turned into a tool.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lengʰ-
“to jump, spring, or move with a sudden thrust”
Latin
Latin
lancea
“a spear or light throwing lance”
Old French
Old French
lancette
“a small lance”
Middle English
English
lancet
“a small pointed knife used for bleeding or surgery”
Modern English
English
lancet
“a small surgical blade or a narrow pointed arch”
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