Insuffler

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device or person that blows air, gas or powder into a body cavity, wound or other space
2. An instrument used to puff air or fine powder into an opening such as the nose, ear or a wound
3. Something that forcibly blows a gas or dust into a passage or cavity, often used in medical or industrial settings

Etymology: Its ancestor is the Latin verb "insufflare," meaning "to blow into." It combines "in-," "into," with "sufflare," "to blow up from beneath," which itself comes from "flare," "to blow." Medical writers borrowed the verb to describe gently puffing a substance such as powder or vapour into a body cavity. The verb "insufflate" arrived in English in that sense, and the device took its name from the action. The noun is formed by adding the agent suffix "-er," meaning "one that does the action," to the verb's stem. It names the apparatus itself: a tube or bellows that delivers fine powder by blowing. The "-er" ending makes it straightforward to build, so it follows the usual pattern for naming tools in English.