scalpel

noun

scal·​pel ˈskal-pəl 

also

skal-ˈpel 

: a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery

Examples of scalpel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Removing fat from beneath this broad muscle requires a scalpel and a surgeon who specializes in deep neck surgery. —Jolene Edgar, Allure, 20 Nov. 2024

That’s like hiring a surgeon who has never lifted a scalpel. —Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 16 Nov. 2024

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

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