speculum

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To insert an IUD, a clinician opens the vagina using a speculum and grips the cervix with a type of forceps, which can cause a sudden, sharp pain.

From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026

There are adjustments clinicians can make to alleviate pain during pap smears, such as applying lube to the speculum, using a smaller one, or even allowing patients to insert the device themselves.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025

During a cervical cancer test, a doctor will use a speculum to open the vagina and insert a small brush or spatula to scrape cell samples from the cervix at the entrance to the uterus.

From BBC • Aug. 24, 2023

An exam confirmed that she needed two wolf teeth extracted and the sharp edges of some molars ground down, procedures that required propping her jaws open with a speculum.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023

At the end of Desrey’s “Macabri speculum choreæ mortuorum,” a hermit sees a vision of a king, a legislator, and a vain female.

From The Dance of Death Exhibited in Elegant Engravings on Wood with a Dissertation on the Several Representations of that Subject but More Particularly on Those Ascribed to Macaber and Hans Holbein by Douce, Francis