Trephine
/ˈtrɛfiːn/noun
A surgical instrument used to cut or bore a circular opening, especially in bone.
Did you know?Trephine is historically linked to trepan and ultimately to Greek words for boring or drilling, because the same ancient root that gave us a surgical tool also helped name the act of making holes.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
trephine
“A circular surgical saw or boring instrument”
17th Century
French
trépan / tréphine
“A trepan; a surgical boring tool”
Late Latin
Latin
trepanum
“A trepan, a boring instrument”
Ancient Greek
Greek
trypanon
“A borer, auger, drill”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*trep-
“To turn, bore, or twist”