scalpel

noun

scal·​pel ˈskal-pəl How to pronounce scalpel (audio)
also
skal-ˈpel How to pronounce scalpel (audio)
: a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery

Examples of scalpel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In fetal surgery, the slightest squeeze or tilt of a scalpel can be the difference between life and death. Megan Molteni, STAT, 21 Feb. 2024 And whose generation? Stewart, 61, certainly was, taking a scalpel to politicians and, don’t forget, the media that covered them, during his first run as host, which began in 1999. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024 Tools commonly left behind included surgical swabs, clamps, drill bits, scalpels, and, in one case, even part of a pair of wire cutters. Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2024 Rather than using a scalpel to collect skin tissue, the sophisticated sticker gathers samples from sensitive areas such as the neck, face and chest. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2024 In modern times people have even used it to make scalpels. PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2024 As a result, plastic surgeons are confronting members of a new generation of patients who have internalized countless images of (apparent) perfection, patients who now have their own towering expectations that can’t always be safely met with a scalpel. Jolene Edgar, Allure, 1 Dec. 2023 The leaves of the radicchio imparted a lingering hint of bitterness, a scalpel through the savory roundness of everything else. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2023 One by one, the spectacled young doctor carefully sliced them open with a scalpel, then from the sticky tissue surrounding their guts, plucked out dozens of lima bean-sized lumps of flesh and dropped them into a flask of liquid nitrogen. Megan Molteni and Elaine Chen, STAT, 30 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scalpel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin scalpellus, scalpellum, diminutive of scalper, scalprum chisel, knife, from scalpere to scratch, carve

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scalpel was in 1742

Dictionary Entries Near scalpel

Cite this Entry

“Scalpel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scalpel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scalpel

noun
scal·​pel ˈskal-pəl How to pronounce scalpel (audio)
 also  skal-ˈpel
: a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery

Medical Definition

scalpel

noun
scal·​pel
ˈskal-pəl also skal-ˈpel
: a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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