Scalpel
/ˈskæl.pəl/noun
A small surgical knife used for dissection and surgery.
Did you know?In medieval times, scalpel-like instruments were often imbued with magical properties, believed to cut not just flesh, but also the ties between the physical and spiritual realms.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skel-
“to cut or to split.”
Latin
Latin
scalpellus
“a small knife, derived from 'scalpare', to cut.”
Old French
Old French
escapel
“a small knife used in surgery.”
Middle English
Middle English
scalpel
“a term adopted for a surgical instrument.”
Modern English
English
scalpel
“a small, precise surgical knife.”