trepanation

From New Latin trepanatio, formed from French trépan (“a drill”), itself from Latin trepanum, ultimately from Ancient Greek τρύπανον (trúpanon, “an auger, a drill”).

• IPA^(key): /tɹɛpəˈneɪʃən/

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trepanation (countable and uncountable, plural trepanations)

1. The practice of drilling a hole in the skull as a physical, mental, or spiritual treatment.
   • 2022, Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line, Gollancz, page 75:

     Creed had suffered […] a swelling to the brain that the tribe’s chief physic treated with trepanation.

   • 2024 December 10, Tom Phillips, Tiago Rogero, “Brazilian president in intensive care after emergency brain surgery”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     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.

• (drilling a hole in the skull): trepanning, trephination, trephining

• burr hole
• craniotomy

• trepanation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• parentation