1. SYN: perforator. 2. To remove a disk of bone or other tissue by means of a t.. [contrived fr. L. tres fines, three ends]
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tre·phine 'trē-.fīn n a surgical instrument for cutting out circular sections (as of bone or corneal tissue)
tre·phine 'trē-.fīn, tri-' vt, tre·phined; tre·phin·ing to operate on with or extract by means of a trephine
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n.
a surgical instrument used to remove a circular area of tissue, usually from the cornea of the eye (in the operation of penetrating keratoplasty) or from bone (for microscopical examination). It consists of a hollow tube with a serrated cutting edge. It is used during the preliminary stages of craniotomy.
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tre·phine (trə-fīnґ) (trə-fēnґ) [L. trephina] 1. a saw for removing a disk of bone, chiefly from the skull. 2. an instrument for removing a circular area of cornea, as in corneal transplant operations. 3. to operate upon with this instrument.Medical dictionary. 2011.