A catheter is a tube which is used to introduce liquids into a human body or to withdraw liquids from it.
[medicine]
catheter in British English
(ˈkæθɪtə)
noun
medicine
a long slender flexible tube for inserting into a natural bodily cavity or passage for introducing or withdrawing fluid, such as urine or blood
Word origin
C17: from Late Latin, from Greek kathetēr, from kathienai to send down, insert
catheter in American English
(ˈkæθətər)
noun
a slender, hollow tube, as of metal or rubber, inserted into a body passage, vessel, or cavity for passing fluids, making examinations, etc., esp. one for draining urine from the bladder
Word origin
LL < Gr kathetēr < kathienai, to let down, thrust in < kata-, down + hienai, to send: see jet1
Examples of 'catheter' in a sentence
catheter
It involves threading a replacement valve up to the heart using a catheter inserted into the top of the leg.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
To get to the ruptured artery and repair it, they inserted a catheter through his groin.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It is then implanted into the mother's uterus using a catheter tube.
The Sun (2006)
It turns out that his catheter tube has caught under his leg as they've moved him up the bed.