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

Thus, like every day he's lived in the past half-decade, the song arrives like a sonic tourniquet. —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 23 Dec. 2024

Alexis Scott-Windham said in an interview with NBC News on Friday that her mother, Tryphena Scott-Windham, told her friends to make a tourniquet to control her blood flow. —NBC News, 4 Jan. 2025

Following widespread adoption of this tourniquet, deaths from extremity bleeding dropped by two-thirds. —Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025

On Thursday, tourniquets, disposable gloves, police tape and blood stains covered the sidewalk in front of the venue. —Mike Ives, New York Times, 2 Jan. 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