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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One common surgical option is excision, where the fibroma is completely removed using surgical tools such as a scalpel. Lindsay Curtis, Health, 23 Nov. 2024 Vekic’s version is slightly more sword-and-sword — her forehand, particularly inside-out and on-the-rise, is more of a swinging axe, while her drop-shot is as precise as a scalpel. Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 3 Aug. 2024 Taking the same medicine to treat two different conditions is two different treatments, just as using a scalpel to remove a brain tumor is a different treatment than using a scalpel to perform a lobotomy. The Editors, National Review, 5 Dec. 2024 Opening with the calamitous IPO of a green-energy startup managed by the series’ fictional banking giant, Pierpoint & Co., the season took a scalpel to the hypocrisy-prone phenomenon of socially conscious capitalism. Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scalpel 

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 2 Jan. 2025.

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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