catheter
/ˈkæθɪtɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.24 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A small tube inserted into a body cavity to administer a drug, create an opening, distend a passageway, or remove fluid.
Example Sentences
- "And I humbly hope, that the Deſcription, and the Method of uſing this Catheter, will be a means of reviving an Operation ſo happily begun, and calculated for the Good of thoſe that are afflicted with the Stone in the Bladder."
- "Of course there are two kinds of catheters, one intended for the male, the other for the female urethra. The common catheter is a silver tube, of such diameter as will allow it to be introduced with ease into the urethra, and of various figures and lengths, according as it is intended for the young or adult, the male or female, subject."
- "Careful positioning of the catheter is essential to achieve a technically satisfactory dialysis. Final placement is made by assessing drainage and by positioning the tip of the catheter according to the patient's comfort."
- "Embryos are transferred into a womb using a long, soft catheter attached to a syringe containing the embryos in a transfer solution. The catheter is threaded through the endocervical canal ("birth canal") into the uterine cavity under ultrasound guidance, and the embryos are deposited gently high in the womb."
Etymology
Borrowed from French cathéter, from Late Latin cathetēr, from Ancient Greek καθετήρ (kathetḗr, “surgical instrument for emptying the bladder”), from καθίημι (kathíēmi, “to descend, let down”) + -τήρ (-tḗr, suffix forming masculine nouns from verbs).
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkæθɪtɚ/
- British English: /ˈkæθɪtə(ɹ)/