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

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

Officers rendered emergency aid, applying a tourniquet on the scene, before Scooter was transported to the hospital. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2025

Don't use a tourniquet Don't try to suction out the venom, and don't cut or slice the bite Keep the affected extremity elevated while traveling to a medical facility. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 14 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