A small surgical knife or blade, traditionally used in medical procedures and surgery.
From cat + -ling (a diminutive suffix meaning 'little'). The blade was called this because it was small and sharp, like a cat's claw.
Medieval surgeons named their sharp little scalpels after cats' claws—an observation that these instruments were tiny, precise, and dangerously sharp, just like a kitten's needle-like claws. This practical naming shows how physicians drew inspiration from nature.
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