Tourniquets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device used to constrict blood flow through a limb or body part, often applied in emergencies to control severe bleeding
2. A bandage or strap that stops bleeding by tightening around an injured area to prevent blood loss
3. An implement employed in medical situations to compress arteries and veins, thereby reducing hemorrhaging until further treatment is available

Etymology: "Tourniquets" is the plural of "tourniquet," a device for pinching off blood flow in a limb. The singular comes from French, where "tourniquet" was a turning or revolving thing, formed from "tourner," meaning "to turn." The name describes the mechanism: the classic tourniquet is tightened by twisting a rod or windlass, which turns the band until it compresses the vessels beneath it. The sense of a rotating object came first, and the medical sense grew out of that physical action. French "tourniquet" was used for a variety of revolving mechanisms, and the surgical device took its name from the twisting motion that tightened the strap. The word's form keeps the French suffix "-et," a diminutive ending, so the name carries the sense of a small turning contraption.