noun
lancets
LAN-sits
Lancets (noun) means Small, very sharp single-use blades or needles used to prick the skin, most often on a fingertip, to draw a drop of blood for testing. Example: “Diabetics get through boxes of lancets testing their blood sugar.”
noun
1
Small, very sharp single-use blades or needles used to prick the skin, most often on a fingertip, to draw a drop of blood for testing.
"Diabetics get through boxes of lancets testing their blood sugar."
"Change the lancet for every test to keep it sterile and less painful."
2
Small pointed surgical knives with two cutting edges, used for making incisions such as draining an abscess.
"The museum case held a set of Victorian lancets used for bloodletting."
3
In architecture, tall narrow windows or arches ending in a sharp point, characteristic of early Gothic buildings.
"Three lancets light the east end of the chapel."
How to use lancets
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe tiny sharp points used to prick a finger for a blood test.
When to use it
Neutral and medical; note The Lancet, the journal, is a separate proper noun.
Memory tip
The device that holds and fires a lancet is a lancing device or lancet pen, not itself a lancet.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
lancets vs needles
lancet vs scalpel
lancets vs The Lancet
Common pairings
lancets and test strips
safety lancets
33-gauge lancets
dispose of used lancets
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Diabetics get through boxes of _____ testing their blood sugar.
Etymology
Plural of lancet, from Old French lancette, a diminutive of lance 'spear'.
Synonyms
View more →
blood-sampling needles
finger-prick needles
scalpels
bistouries
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a lancet and a needle?
A lancet has a short, sharply pointed blade designed to make a shallow prick and release a drop of blood at the surface. A hypodermic needle is a hollow tube for injecting or drawing fluid from deeper tissue or a vein.
Can you reuse a lancet?
You should not. Lancets are single-use: the tip blunts after one prick, which makes the next test more painful, and reuse raises the risk of infection. They belong in a sharps bin, not household waste.
What gauge of lancet should I use?
Gauge measures thickness, and a higher number means a thinner lancet, so 33-gauge is finer and more comfortable than 28-gauge. Thinner lancets draw a smaller drop, so match the gauge to how much blood your meter needs.
What is the meaning of lancets?
"lancets" (noun) means small, very sharp single-use blades or needles used to prick the skin, most often on a fingertip, to draw a drop of blood for testing.
