English 'scalpel' comes from Latin 'scalpellum,' a diminutive of 'scalpere' (to carve), from PIE *skel- (to cut) — a 'little carver,' its tiny suffix marking a small delicate blade, and its root connecting to 'skull,' 'shell,' 'scale,' and 'skill.'
A knife with a small, sharp blade used by a surgeon.
From Latin 'scalpellum,' the diminutive of 'scalprum' (a cutting tool, a chisel, a pen-knife), from 'scalpere' (to carve, to scratch, to engrave, to cut), from PIE *skel- (to cut). The PIE root *skel- is the same root underlying English 'shell,' 'skull,' 'scale' (of a fish), and 'skill' — all words connected to the idea of cutting or splitting apart a surface. A scalpel is literally a 'little carver,' the diminutive suffix '-ellum' marking it as a small, delicate version