lancet

noun

lan·​cet ˈlan(t)-sət 

1

: a sharp-pointed and commonly 2-edged surgical instrument used to make small incisions

2

a

: lancet window

b

: lancet arch

Examples of lancet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first lancet pricked my skin with alarming precision. —David Oliver, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024

Another example is the lancet liver fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum), which infects the brains of ants, altering their behavior to increase the likelihood that they will be eaten by grazing animals. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024

For this latest experiment, Fredensborg chose to focus on four anthills in the Bidstrup Forests near Copenhagen, where both ants and lancet liver flukes are common. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2023

Open the lancet and press it into the tip of your finger along the side (pricking the pad can hurt more). —Gary Gilles, Verywell Health, 18 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lancet

• lancet arch
• lancet window

Kids Definition

lancet

noun

lan·​cet ˈlan(t)-sət 

: a sharp-pointed and usually two-edged surgical instrument

Medical Definition

lancet

noun

lan·​cet ˈlan(t)-sət 

: a sharp-pointed and commonly two-edged surgical instrument used to make small incisions (as in a vein or a boil)

called also lance