Cannula
//ˈkænjʊlə// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A tube inserted into the body to drain or inject fluid.
"Two or three cannulæ are requisite also for washing out the sinuses."
- 2 a small flexible tube inserted into a body cavity for draining off fluid or introducing medication wordnet
- 3 A hose or tube that connects directly from an oxygen bottle or other source to the user's nose, commonly used by aircraft pilots or others needing direct oxygen breathing apparatus.
Example
More examples"Two or three cannulæ are requisite also for washing out the sinuses."
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin cannula, canula (“tubular surgical instrument”), from Latin cannula (“reed; small reed- or tube-shaped object”), from canna (“cane; reed; object made from or shaped like a cane or reed”) + -ula (feminine form of -ulus (diminutive suffix). Canna is derived from Ancient Greek κᾰ́ννᾱ (kắnnā, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒂵𒉡𒌑𒌝 (qanûm, “cane; reed”). The plural form cannulae is borrowed from Late Latin cannulae.
Related phrases
More for "cannula"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.