Lancette

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, typically sharp instrument used in medical procedures for making small incisions or pricking the skin; a type of blade designed for precise cutting in various applications; specifically a narrow surgical tool used for blood sampling or similar tasks in clinical settings
2. A slender surgical device meant for lancing the skin to obtain blood; a finely honed cutting instrument favored in medical examinations; essentially, a pointed implement utilized for delicate surgical procedures
3. A compact piercing tool often utilized to prick the skin for sample collection; an acute-edged blade commonly seen in medical or laboratory environments; primarily a focused instrument for carrying out minor surgical cuts

Etymology: The tool is named after a weapon in miniature. Its root is Latin "lancea," a light spear, and French formed "lancette" from "lance" with the diminutive suffix "-ette," so the word means something like "little spear." The same spear-shaped sharpness gave English a second meaning: a narrow, pointed blade used for lancing boils and bleeding patients, a practice that was common in medicine for centuries. English usually spells it "lancet," which entered the language from Old French, while "lancette" is the French form that still appears in English texts. Architects also borrowed the image for the tall, narrow pointed windows of Gothic buildings, which are called "lancet windows" because their shape resembles the blade.

Synonyms: lancet, blade, knife, scalpel, surgical knife