Katheter

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thin tube designed for insertion into a body cavity or vessel, primarily used for medical purposes such as draining fluids or delivering medication
2. A flexible conduit that can be inserted into an anatomical passage, often utilized for therapeutic interventions and monitoring bodily functions
3. An instrument made to access bodily spaces, commonly employed in clinical settings for tasks like urine drainage or intravenous access

Etymology: In Greek, "kathienai" meant "to send down" or "let down," built from "kata," meaning "down," and "hienai," meaning "to send." The word for the instrument came from the same verb, so its name describes the act of lowering something into place. The related Greek adjective "kathetos" meant "perpendicular," the way a plumb line hangs straight down. The two words are generally linked through that shared sense of downward motion, so a tube that hangs or slides straight down and a line that drops vertically are close cousins. Greek and Latin medical writers used the term for a hollow instrument that was passed down a channel of the body to draw off fluid or keep a passage open. The English spelling "catheter" follows the Latin form, while "katheter," the spelling you sent, is the German and Scandinavian form of the same word.

Synonyms: catheter