scalpel
Meaning of scalpel: A scalpel is a small surgical knife with a thin, precise blade used to make controlled incisions during a procedure.
Definition of scalpel
A scalpel is a small, sharp surgical instrument used to make precise cuts into tissue. It typically consists of a handle fitted with a replaceable blade, allowing a fresh, sterile edge to be used for each procedure.
Scalpel blades come in a range of shapes and sizes suited to different types of incisions, from fine work on delicate tissue to larger cuts through skin and underlying layers. The instrument is a basic tool used across many surgical specialties, from minor office procedures to complex operations.
Proper handling of a scalpel is emphasized in surgical training because of the risk of accidental cuts to the person using it or to others in the sterile field.
Used in a sentence
The surgeon used a scalpel to make the initial skin incision.
Good to know
A scalpel makes a controlled, sharp incision, which produces a different wound edge than instruments such as scissors or electrocautery, a distinction that can affect healing and scar formation.
Word origin
Where “scalpel” comes from
From Latin scalpellum, a diminutive of scalprum, meaning "cutting tool," from scalpere, meaning "to cut or scrape."