MEANING
The creation of an opening in the skull, usually by removing or boring through a portion of bone.
Use it for
A skull with a deliberate aperture; historical bodily intervention; an invasive procedure used ominously in fictionMake the opening's deliberate character the disturbing detail without denying legitimate medical contexts.
Words that belong together
- cranial trepanation
- evidence of trepanation
- trepanation opening
On the page
The skull showed a healed opening from trepanation.
Her research distinguished trepanation from damage after death.
In the horror story, the promised cure concealed an unauthorized trepanation.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- trepanation
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Historical or medical procedure, not inherently torture; evidence of healing may indicate survival. Distinguish a deliberate opening from a random skull fracture. Noun plural: trepanations. Derived/related family (not inflections): trepan (noun and verb); trephination is a related procedure noun.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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