tourniquet

/ˈtʌrnəkət/

/ˈtʌnɪkɪt/

Other forms: tourniquets

A tourniquet is a device used to control the flow of blood temporarily. If you cut your knee really badly, the doctor might put a tourniquet on your thigh before operating — to control the blood flow to your knee.

A tourniquet is usually used for two purposes in medicine. In surgery, a tourniquet is used to stop the flow of blood to a limb while it is being operated on. In an emergency, a tourniquet is used to control blood loss. By compressing around the veins that bring blood to a limb, a tourniquet stops or slows the flow of blood temporarily.

Definitions of tourniquet

1. noun

   bandage that stops the flow of blood from an artery by applying pressure
   synonyms: compression bandage

   type of:

   bandage, patch

   a piece of soft material that covers and protects an injured part of the body