tourniquet

noun

tour·​ni·​quet ˈtu̇r-ni-kət  ˈtər- 

: a device (such as a band of rubber) that checks bleeding or blood flow by compressing blood vessels

Examples of tourniquet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Police applied a tourniquet and gauze to her wound to control the bleeding before she was taken to Hartford Hospital. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025

Tina untied the tourniquet on Lilian’s arm and left with the tray of tubes. —Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025

Keep scrolling for her other suggestions below, including life-saving emergency tourniquets and travel-sized antibacterial soap sheets, starting at just $8. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2025

The team also tested the model back in the lab on a new set of participants using the tourniquet technique to temporarily pause their pulse. —IEEE Spectrum, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, turnstile, tourniquet, from tourner to turn, from Old French — more at turn

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tourniquet

noun

tour·​ni·​quet ˈtu̇r-ni-kət  ˈtər- 

: a device (as a band of rubber) used to stop or slow bleeding or blood flow by compressing blood vessels

Medical Definition

tourniquet

noun

tour·​ni·​quet ˈtu̇r-ni-kət  ˈtər- 

: a device (as a bandage twisted tight with a stick) to check bleeding or blood flow