Definition

Noun: A medical instrument consisting of a hollow barrel and a piston, fitted with a thin, hollow needle (hypodermic needle), designed to inject substances into or extract fluids from beneath the skin or into a blood vessel.

Usage

The term "hypodermic syringe" specifically refers to the complete assembly of the syringe barrel, plunger, and the attached hypodermic needle, used for parenteral administration (e.g., subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous injections).

Examples

• The nurse prepared the hypodermic syringe with the vaccine.
• For safety, used hypodermic syringes must be disposed of in a sharps container.
• The doctor used a hypodermic syringe to draw a blood sample.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often implies a single-use, disposable medical device in modern healthcare settings.
• In historical contexts, it may refer to reusable glass syringes that required sterilization.

Variants and Related Words

• Hypodermic needle (n): Specifically the needle component of the assembly.
• Syringe (n): A broader term for a device with a barrel and plunger, which may or may not have a needle attached (e.g., oral syringe, irrigation syringe).
• Injector (n): A more general term for any device used to inject a substance.

Synonyms

• Medical syringe
• Injection syringe
• Hypodermic (when used informally as a noun, e.g., "a hypodermic")

Related Phrases

• Hypodermic injection: The act of administering a substance using a hypodermic syringe.

Noun

1. a piston syringe that is fitted with a hypodermic needle for giving injections