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: a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery
Examples of scalpel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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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
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
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
More from Merriam-Webster on scalpel
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scalpel
Nglish: Translation of scalpel for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of scalpel for Arabic Speakers
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