Definitions

1. noun

a surgical instrument used to remove a portion of the skull

“The surgeon used a trephine to relieve the pressure on the patient’s brain.”

2. verb

to remove a portion of the skull, especially as a surgical procedure

“The patient had to undergo trephining to relieve the swelling.”

3. verb

to perforate or drill a hole in the skull, especially as a surgical procedure

“The neurosurgeon trephined the bone to access the damaged area.”