tourniquet

noun

tour·​ni·​quet ˈtu̇r-ni-kət  ˈtər- 

: a device (such as a band of rubber) that checks bleeding or blood flow by compressing blood vessels

Examples of tourniquet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kathryn McKenzie, a doctor who helped treat the officer, said that a tourniquet had already been placed on Wong’s wound by his partner before Wong arrived at the hospital. —Shawn Inglima, New York Daily News, 20 Nov. 2024

Regular surfers might want to buy a marine tourniquet and take a wilderness first aid class. —Erik Vance, New York Times, 26 July 2024

Police officers applied two tourniquets to control bleeding before the victim was taken to a hospital. —Dennis Romero, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024

Some personnel were already at the scene when gunfire erupted, and used their belts to apply tourniquets to gunshot victims, Nashville Fire Department PIO Kendra Loney said. —Victoria Arancio, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, turnstile, tourniquet, from tourner to turn, from Old French — more at turn

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tourniquet

noun

tour·​ni·​quet ˈtu̇r-ni-kət  ˈtər- 

: a device (as a band of rubber) used to stop or slow bleeding or blood flow by compressing blood vessels

Medical Definition

tourniquet

noun

tour·​ni·​quet ˈtu̇r-ni-kət  ˈtər- 

: a device (as a bandage twisted tight with a stick) to check bleeding or blood flow