Meanings
plural trepanations
- countableuncountableThe practice of drilling a hole in the skull as a physical, mental, or spiritual treatment.
Creed had suffered […] a swelling to the brain that the tribe’s chief physic treated with trepanation.
2022, Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line, Gollancz, page 751 more example
According to the doctors, Lula, 79, underwent a trepanation: having a 3cm hole made in the skull to insert a drain to remove the bleeding.
2024 December 10, Tom Phillips, Tiago Rogero, “Brazilian president in intensive care after emergency brain surgery”, in The Guardian, →ISSNSynonyms: trepanning, trephination, trephining
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe practice of drilling a hole in the skull as a physical, mental, or spiritual treatment.
Origin
- New Latintrepanatio
- Englishtrepanation
From New Latin trepanatio, formed from French trépan (“a drill”), itself from Latin trepanum, ultimately from Ancient Greek τρύπανον (trúpanon, “an auger, a drill”).
More words from New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic نَقَب الجَمْجَمَة
- نَقَب الجَمْجَمَة (naqab al-jamjama)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Basque trepanazio
- trepanaziopractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Bulgarian трепанация
- трепанация (trepanacija)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Catalan trepanació
- trepanaciópractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Chinese Mandarin 頭部穿孔 /头部穿孔
- 頭部穿孔 /头部穿孔 (tóu bù chuānkǒng)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Czech trepanace
- trepanacepractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Dutch schedeltrepanatie
- schedeltrepanatiepractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Esperanto trepanado
- trepanadopractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Estonian trepanatsioon
- trepanatsioonpractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Finnish kallonporaus, trepanaatio
- kallonporauspractice of drilling a hole in the skull
- trepanaatiopractice of drilling a hole in the skull
French trépanation
- trépanationpractice of drilling a hole in the skull
German Trepanation
- Trepanationpractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Greek τρυπανισμός
- τρυπανισμός (trypanismós)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Hungarian lékelés
- lékeléspractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Irish treapánadh
- treapánadhpractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Italian trapanazione
- trapanazionepractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Japanese 穿頭
- 穿頭 (sentō)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Korean 천두
- 천두 (cheondu)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Latvian trepanācija
- trepanācijapractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Lithuanian trepanacija
- trepanacijapractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Polish trepanacja
- trepanacjapractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Portuguese trepanação
- trepanaçãopractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Romanian trepanație
- trepanațiepractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Russian трепана́ция
- трепана́ция (trepanácija)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Slovak trepanácia
- trepanáciapractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Spanish trepanación
- trepanaciónpractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Turkish trepanasyon
- trepanasyonpractice of drilling a hole in the skull
Ukrainian трепана́ція
- трепана́ція (trepanácija)practice of drilling a hole in the skull
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
trepanation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trepanation
“trepanation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trepanation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trepanation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trepanation.
Source: trepanation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.