needle

Pronunciation: ne'del

Definition:

1. A slender, solid, usually sharp-pointed instrument used for puncturing tissues, suturing, or passing a ligature around or through a vessel.
2. A hollow needle used for injection, aspiration, biopsy, or to guide introduction of a catheter into a vessel or other space.
3. To separate the tissues by means of one or two needles, in the dissection of small parts.
4. To perform discission of a cataract with a knife needle.

[M.E. nedle, fr. A.S. naedl]

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© Copyright 2018 Wolters Kluwer. All Rights Reserved. Review date: Sep 19, 2016.

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