syringe
UK /sɪˈɹɪn(d)ʒ/ · US /səˈɹɪnd͡ʒ/ noun, verb
Forms syringes syringing syringed
- noun A device used for injecting or drawing fluids through a membrane.
- noun A device consisting of a hypodermic needle, a chamber for containing liquids, and a piston for applying pressure (to inject) or reducing pressure (to draw); a hypodermic syringe. “an ear syringe”
- verb (transitive) To clean or rinse by means of a syringe. “Have your ears syringed! They're so dirty!”
- verb (transitive) To inject by means of a syringe.
Etymology
From Middle French syringe (“syringe”), from Latin sȳringem, accusative of sȳrinx (“reed, panpipe”), from Ancient Greek σῦριγξ (sûrinx, “pipe, syrinx”). Doublet of syrinx.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A kind of small hand-pump for throwing a stream of liquid, or for purposes of aspiration. It consists of a small cylindrical barrel and piston, or a bulb of soft elastic material, with or without valves, and with a nozzle which is sometimes at the end of a flexible tube; --used for injecting animal bodies, cleansing wounds, etc. Garden syringe. See Garden.
- verb To inject by means of a syringe; as, to syringe warm water into a vein.
- verb To wash and clean by injection from a syringe.
Etymology [F. seringue (cf. Pr. siringua, Sp. jeringa, It. sciringa, scilinga), fg. Gr. svar to sound, and E. swarum. Cf. Syringa.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “syringe”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details