TREPHINE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does trephine mean? 

• TREPHINE (noun)
  The noun TREPHINE has 1 sense:

1. a surgical instrument used to remove sections of bone from the skull

  Familiarity information: TREPHINE used as a noun is very rare.

• TREPHINE (verb)
  The verb TREPHINE has 1 sense:

1. operate on with a trephine

  Familiarity information: TREPHINE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TREPHINE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A surgical instrument used to remove sections of bone from the skull

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

trepan; trephine

Hypernyms ("trephine" is a kind of...):

surgical instrument (a medical instrument used in surgery)

Derivation:

trephine (operate on with a trephine)

• TREPHINE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they trephine    ... he / she / it trephines   
Past simple: trephined   
Past participle: trephined   
-ing form: trephining   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Operate on with a trephine

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "trephine" is one way to...):

operate; operate on (perform surgery on)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

trephination (an operation that removes a circular section of bone from the skull)

trephine (a surgical instrument used to remove sections of bone from the skull)

 Context examples 

The suffusion of the brain will increase quickly, so we must trephine at once or it may be too late.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

MR requires all of the following: 1. 25-49% reduction in the level of the serum monoclonal paraprotein maintained for a minimum of 6 weeks; 2. 50-89% reduction in 24 h urinary light chain excretion, which still exceeds 200 mg/24 h, maintained for a minimum of 6 weeks; 3. for patients with non-secretory myeloma only, 25-49% reduction in plasma cells in a bone marrow aspirate and on trephine biopsy, if biopsy is performed, maintained for a minimum of 6 weeks; 4. 25-49% reduction in the size of soft tissue plasmacytomas (by radiography or clinical examination); 5. no increase in size or number of lytic bone lesions (development of a compression fracture does not exclude response) (adapted from National Comprehensive Cancer Network).

(Minimal Response of Multiple Myeloma, NCI Thesaurus)

We shall wait, said Van Helsing, just long enough to fix the best spot for trephining, so that we may most quickly and perfectly remove the blood clot; for it is evident that the hæmorrhage is increasing.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)