lancet

Lancet is a term with several related meanings across medicine, architecture, botany, and publishing. The word derives from the French lancette, a diminutive of lance, itself from the Latin lancea, reflecting its historical association with a slender spear or blade.

In medicine, a lancet is a small, sharp blade used for making punctures or small incisions in tissue. Historically associated with bloodletting, its modern use is common for obtaining capillary blood samples, such as finger-prick tests. Contemporary lancets are typically disposable and may include safety features to prevent accidental reuse or injury, often used with devices that control penetration depth.

The Lancet is a leading weekly peer-reviewed medical journal founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley. It publishes clinical studies, reviews, and commentary and is among the world's most cited medical journals. Its influence extends to clinical practice and public health policy, though like many journals it has faced controversies and corrections of published work.

Outside medicine, lancet describes other pointed or slender shapes. In architecture, a lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch, a hallmark of Gothic design. In botany, lancet refers to a leaf shape that is longer than wide with a sharp apex (lanceolate). The term may also appear in other specialized uses to denote a slender, pointed form reminiscent of a lance.