Speculum

Speculum
An instrument used to widen an opening to look within a passage or a cavity. For example, a speculum may be used to widen the opening of the vagina so that the cervix is more easily visible. Other examples include the nasal speculum to look up into the nostrils and the ear speculum to look within the ear canal at the ear drum. The term "speculum" is the Latin word for mirror.
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An instrument for exposing the opening of any canal or cavity in order to facilitate inspection of its interior. [L. a mirror, fr. specio, to look at]
- bivalve s. a s. with two adjustable blades.
- Cooke s. a three-pronged s. for rectal examinations and operations.
- duckbill s. a bivalve s., the blades of which are broad and flattened, resembling a duck's bill, used in inspection of the vagina and cervix.
- eye s. an instrument for keeping the eyelids apart during inspection of or operation on the eye. SYN: blepharostat.
- Pedersen s. a narrow flat s. used in vaginas with a narrow introitus.
- stop-s. a dilating s., as a s. of the eyelids, which is provided with a catch to prevent its being opened too wide.

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spec·u·lum 'spek-yə-ləm n, pl -la -lə also -lums any of various instruments for insertion into a body passage to facilitate visual inspection or medication <a vaginal \speculum>

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n. (pl. specula)
a metal instrument for inserting into and holding open a cavity of the body, such as the vagina, rectum, or nasal orifice, in order that the interior may be examined.

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spec·u·lum (spekґu-ləm) pl. specґula [L. “mirror”] an instrument that exposes the interior of a passage or cavity of the body by enlarging the opening.

Nasal specula.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Synonyms:

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  • spéculum — [ spekylɔm ] n. m. VAR. speculum • XVe; lat. speculum « miroir » ♦ Méd. Instrument servant à explorer des cavités ou conduits de l organisme, muni d un dispositif permettant de les élargir en vue d en faciliter l examen. Spéculum vaginal, anal,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • speculum — spéculum [ spekylɔm ] n. m. VAR. speculum • XVe; lat. speculum « miroir » ♦ Méd. Instrument servant à explorer des cavités ou conduits de l organisme, muni d un dispositif permettant de les élargir en vue d en faciliter l examen. Spéculum vaginal …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Speculum — Spéculum Ancien modèle de spéculum Un spéculum est un outil médical généralement en métal ou à usage unique en plastique permettant d explorer une cavité corporelle par l écartement des parois. Sommaire …   Wikipédia en Français

  • SPECULUM — primis mortalium aequor fuit undarum saxorumque laevor. Senec. Natur. Quaest. l. 1. c. 17. Rerum natura facultatem nobis dedit, nosmet ipsos videndi, fons cuique perlucidus, aut laeve saxum imaginem reddit. Unde Pastor ille Virgilianus, Ecl. 2. v …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Speculum — Spec u*lum, n.; pl. L. {Specula}, E. {Speculum}. [L., fr. specere to look, behold. See {Spy}.] 1. A mirror, or looking glass; especially, a metal mirror, as in Greek and Roman arch[ae]ology. [1913 Webster] 2. A reflector of polished metal,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Speculum — Spec u*lum, n.; pl. L. {Specula}, E. {Speculum}. [L., fr. specere to look, behold. See {Spy}.] 1. A mirror, or looking glass; especially, a metal mirror, as in Greek and Roman arch[ae]ology. [1913 Webster] 2. A reflector of polished metal,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Specŭlum [1] — Specŭlum (lat.), 1) Spiegel; 2) Instrument zur Erweiterung der Öffnung von Höhlen, in denen man etwas beobachten od. vornehmen will, so der Mundspiegel (s.d., Speculum oris), der Mutterspiegel (Speculum uteri), zur Erweiterung u. Beobachtung der… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • speculum — SPÉCULUM s.n. v. specul. Trimis de claudia, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  SPÉCULUM s.n. v. specul. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DN …   Dicționar Român

  • speculum — (n.) 1590s, from L. speculum, lit. mirror, from specere to look at, view (see SCOPE (Cf. scope) (1)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Specŭlum [2] — Specŭlum (a. Geogr.), Ort in der südlichen numidischen Wüste; j. Sbekka …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Specŭlum — (lat.), medizinisches Instrument, s. Spiegel, S. 731 …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

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