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

Attendees left the event with tourniquets or trauma bandages and were encouraged to reach out to Bound Tree Medical to purchase additional supplies for their congregations. —Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025

Returning from his house with old jumper cables and a stick, Roth fashioned a makeshift tourniquet. —April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Woodson Cox was also in the bedroom with a tourniquet on his left arm. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025

The second officer was able to apply a tourniquet to the male victim before medics arrived. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 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