syringe

Everyday

1. A tube with a plunger, used to suck up and push out liquid, often with a needle for injections. tree →
2. A similar tube without a needle, for measuring and giving medicine by mouth. tree →

In the lessons

In health, nurses use syringes with needles for vaccines; parents use an oral syringe to give children exact doses of liquid medicine, measured in millilitres. In science, syringes show that air can be squashed (compressed) but water cannot, and are used to measure small volumes. In safety, never touch a needle or syringe you find lying around — tell an adult straight away. Phrases: «oral syringe», «needle and syringe».

Examples

• The nurse used a syringe to give me my vaccine. tree →
• Mum gave the baby 5 millilitres of medicine with a syringe. tree →
• Read the markings on the syringe carefully. tree →
• If you find a needle or syringe in the park, don't touch it — tell an adult. tree →
• We pushed the plunger to see if air can be squashed. tree →
• You can squash air in a syringe, but not water. tree →
• Syringes are thrown away in special yellow boxes. tree →
• The vet used a syringe to feed the tiny kitten. tree →

Note

Countable. Said «suh-RINJ». In maths, the marks on a syringe are a scale in millilitres (ml); read where the plunger's edge meets the scale.