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syringe

suh-RINJ · noun

Origin

Syringe comes from Middle French syringe, from Latin sȳrinx (accusative sȳringem), meaning 'reed' or 'panpipe,' which itself came from Ancient Greek σῦριγξ (sûrinx), 'pipe, syrinx.'

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Journey

The word traveled from a hollow reed instrument in Greek to a hollow medical instrument in French and English, keeping the core idea of a narrow tube through which air or liquid passes.

Related words

Syringe is a doublet of syrinx, meaning both words descend from the same Greek root but reached English by different paths.

More words

From Middle French

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