fleam

Meaning

A sharp instrument used to open a vein, to lance gums, or the like.

Synonyms

lancet

Translations

Lanzette

φλεβοτόμος

lancet

المشرط

lancetta

✋

neşter

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fliːm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: fleme

Cognate with Old Saxon: flēma

Cognate with Old High German: fliotuma

Cognate with Old English: flȳtme

Cognate with French: flamme

Cognate with Dutch: vlijm

Cognate with German: Fliete

Cognate with Danish: flitte

Inherited from Middle English: fleem

Inherited from Old English: flēam

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: flaum

In summary

From Middle English fleme, fleom, from Old French flieme, flemie (“open vein”), probably via a Proto-Germanic source (compare Old Saxon flēma, Old High German fliotuma, fliodema, Old English flȳtme (“fleam, lancet”)), borrowed from Vulgar Latin fletoma, *fletomus, from Late Latin flebotomus, phlebotomus, from Ancient Greek φλεβοτόμον (phlebotómon). Compare French flamme, Dutch vlijm, German Fliete, Danish flitte (“fleam”). Doublet of phlebotome.